One Eye Closed
by yayayahk
Summary: Nico Robin & X Drake, two very close friends, enroll in the same university together, determined to support each other through this new stage of their lives. Faced with new experiences and faltering feelings, their friendship may take unexpected turns. For better or for worse? AU, Robin & X Drake, ZoRobin, etc.
1. Into the Wild

**Disclaimer : **Featured characters and One Piece belong to Eiichiro Oda. Cover credit : 2012.10 by 十月十日 Pixiv.

**A/N :** Well, yes. Another fic. But this time, it is not a one-shot. I've planned this series to be the sequel to 'Enjoying the Silence' which I wrote a few months ago... (Reading it beforehand will certainly help you understand what kind of mess is going on .there!). Other OP characters will appear (but not necessarily the Strawhat Crew as they are) and there will be dramaaaaaah. So please look forward to it! I'm looking forward to your reviews as well.

**One Eye Closed**

**Rating : **General T, change for chapter 14.

**Summary :** Nico Robin & X Drake, two very close friends, enroll in the same university together, determined to support each other through this new stage of their lives. Faced with new experiences and faltering feelings, their friendship may take unexpected turns. For better or for worse?

**Chapter 1 : **Into the Wild

* * *

The room 326 of the Torino Hospital was immersed in an ocean of orange reflections. She was seating on her bed, resting her back against the bed pillow and laying a keen eye on the setting sun. A thick pocket book laid on her lap, slightly open and held firmly by both of her hands. As she sighed once more, a wandering strand of her hair came to her face. She calmly placed it back behind her ear and resumed reading. The past summer had its lot of 'everything' and it was finally coming to an end.

She paused her reading, yet again. Nico Robin considered the new path that was drawing forward, at her feet. She was finally entering a university. She decided to enroll in as an International Relations major but she was still determined to keep studying Archeology as a minor. As the day of this new beginning approached, she found herself thinking of possibilities, of various projects. She found herself doubting too. What kind of life was ahead of her? Will she make new friends? Will she become a new person? She felt unexpectedly thrilled at the unknown fate that she would embrace, something that she would have failed to consider merely two months ahead of that time.

The door suddenly slid open to reveal a now well much appreciated friend panting and holding two cups of coffee and a grocery bag. Robin's eye lit up as she could finally see the discussion partner she had been waiting all day long. He tussled her spiky red hair before setting the two coffee cups on the bedside table and laying the bag on another table.

"Phew! I'm sorry that it took so long to get them... I encountered a little trouble on my way here..." X Drake said, a bit flustered.

"May I know what kind of trouble?" She asked as she took her cappuccino cup and prepared herself to take a sip.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Well, yes." She blinked out of curiosity.

"Well, then... I was walking and then, I couldn't help it! A ball fell right in front of me and..."

"_Fufufu_, you're too much!" She giggled while he laughed it off with her.

"I'm joking. The ride took more time than usual. Am I that late?"

"Not really. I was reading anyway."

* * *

X Drake and Nico Robin had eventually broken the silent pact that had linked them throughout their few last highschool years. Upon learning the news that Robin would have her right eye operated on, X Drake had decided to pay her a visit some day, somehow, during the summer. What he found when he entered her room was her haggard figure huddled up on her bed and clenching her pillow, an IV injection shot on her left arm. She had barely eaten in a few days and would not even try to chat up with the doctors and the nurses. When she had heard that she would not be able to use her right eye anymore, Robin had been more than devastated. It felt like the world would keep on taking every piece she had. As if her parents did not suffice, as if her will to put on a mere smile every day was not enough, as if it was necessary to tear her body apart, one part at a time.

Reminiscing of her frailness and fearing for her sanity, Drake decided to assist the nurses in her recovery and eventually settled in his cousin's place in the area for the whole summer. Due to her aggravated mental state, Robin did not acknowledge his arrival at first. He made the first move; he was obliged to. As she was staring blankly to the ceiling, shedding a tear from time to time because of her exhaustion, he would stay by her side, telling her what the world was up to. She progressively started to react to his daily appearances in the morning. She actively listened to him, looked at him, responded to his worried interrogations about _how_ she felt. After three weeks, his efforts to put her at ease and to comfort her finally led them to share these - sometimes just random, sometimes extraordinary and secret - stories until the dead hours of the night. Progressively, Robin resumed believing in an existence she thought had let her down. She found a heartwarming comfort in his support. He came to become the big brother she wished she ever had.

As they became more comfortable with each other, their growing friendship opened doors to new feelings of understanding, compassion and empathy despite the dense atmosphere of the hospital. The now close friends relished one another's company : Robin even made fun of his obsession with volleyball while Drake learned how to cope up with her morbid sense of humor. To make the most of the summer holidays, they tried to visit Torino Island as much as they could, forging even more memories for the both of them.

* * *

Back to the summer dusk scene, the two had been chatting a little about that kid who came to give Robin flowers earlier that day. Their coffee cups were now empty and the sun was set. While both gazed at the starry night sky, Drake decided to let the chilly air cool the room. The hospital staff allowed him to remain at Robin's side at night, out of concern for her stability, even though it was not much needed anymore.

"So, have you thought about the upcoming school term?" Robin asked.

"Not much. I'm already done packing. I don't know if I told you, but a few friends from Grand Line High are tagging along. I'm sure you've seen them already but I'll introduce you to them when we're back home." Drake asserted while going back to sit next to her bed.

"Really? I'm looking forward to it."

"And you?"

"I'm anticipating it, somehow", she smiled "I thought about starting anew, you know. I want to enjoy these years as much as I can" Her eye was wavering because of a hardly hidden excitement. Drake smiled at her enthusiasm and listened carefully to all these little plans she had drawn in her mind for those upcoming times.

"I'm sure you will. But not with that messy hair of yours, _Rodusa_. If you plan to meet new people, you'll just scare them off." He eventually claimed. Indeed, her hair pretty much reached the middle of her thighs and was dispersed all around her, like a myriad of snakes.

"_Fufufu_, a concrete introduction to my universe. I will be dragging them to the depths of the sorcerous archeology. Anyway, you're right. I'll cut it again back home... I should braid it for the time being. Oh, and my eye-patch does not help at all." She added chuckling, softly touching the black piece of fabric that covered her blind right eye.

Drake stared at her for a moment. It was not like 'eye-patch' was a forbidden word but she seldom brought up the topic of her lost eye, let alone bringing it up so randomly. Unsure about what to do, he aimed at the table and got out the lunch boxes he had prepared for their dinner.

As she arranged herself to properly eat, Robin almost whispered :

"You know, Drake..." She started rather unsure to continue or not.

"Hm?"

"Back then..." She teased with a little grin that let him dread what was coming next. "It was a bit corny, wasn't it...?"

"Hm? Well, what are you talking about?" He genuinely could not think of anything.

"Oh, come on! That text message... _This is not the time to stay alone, Robin. I'll be there in a few days. In any case, we'll meet again at the Reverse Mountain University. Take care and..._"

"Huh, so you know it by heart?!" He cut her off, raising an eyebrow and now smirking at her.

"Hey, there. Don't make it look that way. I was just saying." Robin fired back at him. Even though she usually dominated battles of wits against Drake, his intervention startled her a bit. "We were so awkward back then." She eventually blurted, bringing her palm to her face.

"We were but it's not longer the case, isn't it?"

"Right, I'm grateful to have you as a great, great, great friend."

"Haha, yes, yes, yes. You know what, let's make it together, through university!" X Drake exclaimed. He went back to the grocery bag to get out two cans of lychee soda. "That's all I got but hey! Cheers to you, Robin!"

"_Fufufu_, how odd of you, cheers!" Robin replied.

Thrilled to be facing a new beginning, the two friends cheered to their promise. And this was how their journey into adulthood began. How will they perceive the changes and the challenges that await them? Will they remain oblivious to their past feelings of affection?


	2. Hot Chick

**Disclaimer : **Featured characters and One Piece belong to Eiichiro Oda.

**A/N : **Well, here goes the second chapter. This one takes a little while to take off but it gets eventful at some point. (Warning : 'shocking' hair)

**Chapter 2 :** Hot Chick

* * *

It was almost 6:40AM and the sun was slowly rising over Robin's bed.

Twenty minutes later, the alarm clock clicked and started beeping its monotonic notes. Robin stretched a lazy hand and tapped the top of the machine before straining her upper body up. She glanced at the now risen sun through her window and briefly sunbathed as she contemplated the day that was ahead of her.

"Finally" she said to herself. She was more than thrilled to experience this first day at university. She joyfully got up her bed and proceeded to take a rapid shower. When it came to choose her outfit, she unexpectedly pondered about dozens of combinations of clothing pieces. In the end, she decided to go for a red crop tank adorned by tassels with pearls and a pair of blue jeans with diamond-shaped holes on the outer sides.

Pleased with her choice, she then went towards her dressing table and sat in front of her mirror. She stared at her reflection for a while, wondering about how she looked. Cute? She did look cute. Charming? Sexy? _Fufufu_, now that was another thing. She took her brush and softly arranged her pixie cut, carefully setting her short strands over her forehead. She finally picked a thin yellow hairband that she placed over her hair and headed downstairs to eat her breakfast.

Down in the kitchen, her butler Ernest was waiting for her. After both of her parents had died in a car accident, a close friend of the family, Clover, had decided to take custody of Robin. Unfortunately, because of his occupation as a scholar and lecturer, he would have to travel around the world and thus he could not look after her as he wish he could. After two years of changing schools and places where to stay, he decided to let her settle down with his wife - and sometimes assistant - Maria and his butler, Ernest, in Orange Town. Over the time, Robin had felt completely connected with her beloved adoptive family. Yet - and it was much to their incomprehension - she tried her best to keep her troubling thoughts and emotions to herself, since she did not want to feel like a burden to them. She had let them know about the failure of the eye surgery in the flattest way, just before she had flown back home.

"Miss Robin" he greeted, placing her plate of broiled eggs with bacon and pepperoni salad on the table.

"Good morning, Ernest. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did. Thank you for asking, miss Robin. Did you, as well? Are you feeling good?"

"More than good. I've been waiting for this day for a long time now." she smiled. "Has Maria called from West Blue yet?" she added before taking a bite of bacon.

"Mrs. Maria indeed called over the night. She wanted me to notify you that she will not be able to come back in the few upcoming weeks. Apparently, the ruins she and Mr. Clover unveiled last week have appeared to top a vast network of underground chambers." He answered as he set a glass of fresh grape juice at her disposal.

"Amazing!" Robin excitedly blurted out as she slammed the end of her fork on the table. "That's amazing!" she repeated with her single eye wide open, almost spitting all she was chewing.

"Miss Robin, you may be careful of your manners while eating." Ernest reprimanded.

"I'm sorry" she wiped the food around her mouth.

"You may be able to call them in three or four days. In any case, Mrs. Maria wants you to take very good care of yourself and enjoy the new term as much as possible" he asserted while taking a seat at Robin's side.

"Right." She felt these words so reassuring and heartwarming. Merely ten minutes had passed and she had finished her breakfast just to rush upstairs to brush her teeth and come back down with her small suede backpack.

"I intend to leave pretty early today. Have a good day, Ernest!" she cheerfully shouted from the entrance of the house.

"Understood, miss Robin." he smiled back.

Robin put on her black flats and left the house in the direction of the 'Rose Line' bus stop that was ten minutes away from her place. The summer breeze welcomed her as soon as she stepped out. Robin could not help but hum a sweet melody in her low voice as she walked. Thrilled would not be strong enough to describe her growing motivation. She did not have to wait long before the bus arrived. While the doors were opening, she let out a long sigh and got in. Then, she made her way to the back of the bus.

Uncontrollably, her face pointed down, eye set on her feet. When she finally sat down, her first reflex was to look for familiar faces, or rather familiar hairstyles, backs of heads, and… stuff. For a second, she seemed to have recognized a long-nosed figure which instantaneously turned back to the front when her eye set down on it. To her disappointment, the ride to Reverse Mountain University was quite uneventful, despite the few okama who boarded the bus for an impromptu and burlesque performance of '_It's Raining Men_' by the Weather Girls.

Robin passed the doors of the main building fifteen minutes ahead of the start of the first period. She whipped out her schedule and proceeded to look for her room : _35A, third floor, left alley_. She had ended up in the '_Block 2_' of her program but the student list had not been published. She was really curious about the new faces she was going to see, the new personalities she was going to meet, the new histories she was already willing to know.

The place was already crowded. The building was a pretty modern one and its insides were decorated in an odd manner, for a university, that it is. Steel doors were carved in wooden walls. The surroundings looked austere but the numerous presences livened up the place, and so did the blazing sun. The corridors were rocked by chitchats, laughters and whispers of students, some of them excited, some of them on the verge of reaching a vegetal state. The air was even more dense than outside but Robin managed to cool herself by fanning her schedule sheets over her.

She hurriedly walked her path, in search of the central staircase. She knew very well she was not late nor that she could accelerate time. But her newfound uneasiness, that was caused by stranger eyes wandering around her figure, pushed her to make longer and faster steps. To her dismay, she ended up walking in a straight clear line, like a model released on a runway. All the people present in the corridor made way for the new it-girl as gossipers enjoyed calling them so when they blogged about them. In a state of major confusion, she kept glancing at her surroundings just to realize she was under the scrutiny of fascinated eyes. She was the target of swooning males and the addressee of countless sighs of adoration. Robin was more than embarrassed, she was wincing out of fluster. Anxiety had taken its toll on her and it was just about to get worse.

Just before reaching the second to last door to the room 35A, Robin was intercepted by one tall blue-haired man. He posed in front of her, lifting and joining his broad and muscular arms up in the air before taking off his sunglasses.

"Look at . ! Isn't that a ~SUPER~ lady in front of me? Hey hey hey, I'm Franky, but everybody here calls me 'Big bro'. What's your name, you cool and mysterious beauty?" he exclaimed while he repeatedly raised both of his eyebrows to an astounding fast frequency, she had noted.

"Arrh…" was all she could utter as she clenched the backpack she had now placed on her torso, in a protective manner. Her uncovered eye was narrowing and she was slightly leaning back, unsure of what to do in this kind of occasions. In spite of her usual cool-headedness and self-control, she certainly did not expect this.

"ARRRRRHH?" he repeated in an even louder and exaggerated manner.

"My name is Robin!" she unconsciously shouted to match his tone of voice.

"What an interesting name, you little chick. You look tensed, though. Be cool. Well, you see. I'm a fine man and I like my ladies fine too. You are a fine one, will you go out for a drink?" He calmly asked.

_"So that was that?" _she thought. The man's odd behavior had let her imagine all possible painful and violent scenarios, including one that implied her being used as a fodder in a catch match. But a date? A date? The more she thought about this word, the more confused she was becoming. She could feel the blood starting to rush to her cheeks.

"So! What's your ~super~ answer?" he asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Well, I will have to think about it. But, nice to meet you, Franky!" she replied and sighed afterwards, out of relief now that the temperature had cool down a bit.

"Okay. If you need anything, just come down to the MechaClub's base which is just behind, near the park." he winked at her and left as he combed his hair. He could be heard making more antics throughout his walk down the A alley.

Catching her breath, Robin quickly reached the door of the 35A room, opened it and hurried inside. After closing the door, she turned to face the very few students who were already there, seven to be exact. Two girls were sitting on a table in the middle of the room and were chatting in front of a boy with long messy black hair.

One of the girls sported pale blond hair and was dressed in a simple casual white dress. The other one, who seemed to be gesticulating a lot from afar, had her - probably - long red hair combed in a bun. She was wearing a pale crop turtleneck top, multicolored shorts and knee-high chestnut boots.

Among the other faces, she failed to identify some but she surprisingly could recognize a few ones, notably players from Grand Line High's volleyball team. She smiled as she saw an aloof-looking man who was sitting at the third row and seemed to be playing with tarot cards. It was Hawkins, a.k.a Drake's former vice-captain. She recognized another familiar face who eventually turned to see her still standing near the door. She hastened herself to get closer to the smiling long-nosed boy who was none other than X Drake's friend and tactician for matches.

But as soon as she was about to greet him, her vision was blocked by another figure that pressed its weight all over her upper body and wrapped its arms around her face, pulling Robin in a big uncanny hug.

"Robin!"

* * *

Not really a cliffhanger, I decided to end the chapter here.

Please, review!


	3. Hey You!

**Disclaimer : **Featured characters and One Piece belong to Eiichiro Oda.

**A/N : **Here and now, I shall bring the third chapter of this fic. Just a little reminder that I would really appreciate reviews. I want to know what you think is good (hohohohoho) and I also want to know what you think is wrong so I could work on it and make this fic more pleasant to read, for youuuueueueueueueuw.

It reminds me that there had been a major mistake in the first two chapters (OTL) : I used the plural several times when I mentioned Robin's "eyes" whereas she's supposed to only have one, well, that can be seen, _boooo_. To remedy this inconsistency, I drew a chibi Robin with a cute pixie haircut and a black eye-patch on a post-it note. I'll get it whenever I write from now on.

Ok, cue.

**Chapter 3 :** Hey You!

* * *

_"Robin!"_

Robin had obliviously failed to notice that impending 'attack of affection' as the culprit liked to call them so. The red-haired girl had launched herself in the air to land her full weight on Robin who, miraculously, managed to _just_ stumble. Gravity solely doing its job, the red-haired girl, whose name was Nami, found her feet on the ground again and was now looking up to catch her victim's sight.

It took several seconds to Robin to try to gather what had just happened to her. Sporting an appalled look in her eye, she lowered her head down a few inches to meet the red-haired girl's wide smile.

"Hi~~~~~~!" she cheerily exclaimed

"Hello…"

"USOPP!" she screamed, "Make sure to entertain Kaya, I have serious business to attend here." she then added in a forced lovely tone towards her friend. He sighed in retreat and shyly made efforts to start a conversation with the blonde-haired one, who might have looked as confused as Robin.

Keeping her arms still locked around Robin's neck, Nami inquired :

"Let's have a chat, hehe. Oops, my bad! How are you? I'm Nami and I used to attend Grand Line High like you. Nice to meet you again." she released her embrace and extended her hand to Robin who shook it with hers.

"Nami… You were a cheerleader for the basketball team, right?"

Nami was, along with Boa Hancock who had flown back to Amazon Lily for personal matters, that popular girl in high school. The one who receives chocolates on Valentine's Day and White's Day. The one you see being cheered on for the simple act of ordering the cafeteria's day special. That girl who has a virtual altar on the gossip blog of Grand Line High, which Robin clearly did not know about.

"Yes, I was. It's nice to see that you still remember me!"

"But we didn't exactly meet back then."

"Yes, I know but we had our encounters. Anyway, I did NOT expect you to end up here in Reverse Mountain U. I always thought you would fly abroad and realize huge things, appear on TV, etc." Nami leaned, getting closer to Robin.

"I've always felt attached to this town, somehow" she smiled, almost nostalgically.

"Hm. Okay. And Drake? Are you still together? That's what the rumors were saying back then."

"This is nonsensical. Drake and I have been very good friends and that's it. I can't even see how people would extrapolate such thing." Robin spat, frowning at the mention of a romantic relationship with… him. _"Of all people…" _she said to herself.

"Hmmm? How come?" the red-haired one immediately asked but as Robin's frown became more pronounced, she refrained from digging deeper in the subject.

"Obviously, you are still unaware of the marvels of gossiping. Whatever, let's change the subject. You know what? I really wanted to get to know you but you seemed so distant during our high school days…" Nami was piling questions after assertions, assertions after questions.

"Really?"

"Yes. You are real~ pretty, you know." she then cupped Robin's cheeks in her hands and made them slightly roll "Even with your new hair cut, you look… charming? Kind of doll like? Exotic and bewitching." Nami was tilting her head left and right and nodding at each of her statements. "And I don't know what's lying behind that eye-patch but it adds more spice to your mysterious side."

"I… lost my eye during a surgery." Robin flatly claimed.

"Oh…" Nami's mouth matched the shape of that first letter. "Sorry if I've bugged you in any sense. Are you fine now? You are getting used to it, right?" she wore a worrisome expression on her face to which Robin reassuringly smiled.

"Yes, I have a little trouble with the distances but it is okay, Nami." There it went. Robin was getting accustomed to the red-haired girl's inquisitiveness and somehow found her cheeky attitude entertaining.

"Great! To get back to what I was saying. Yeah, Robin. You are pretty, charming~" she insisted on the last word earning a chuckle from the black-haired one. "And I was really impressed by your ballet performance during last year's school festival. So! It is all my pleasure to become your friend, Robin!" she clasped her hands and looked right in her left eye.

"Okay…" Robin simply added, but not in a nonchalant way. She was clearly pleased with the way things were turning out with her new friend. She addressed her classmate a very tender smile to which Nami corresponded with a slight grin.

"Eeeh! I'm happy to have another friend on whom I can rely on! Okay, class is going to start in… seven minutes! Let's go sit over there" she said as she pulled Robin's hand and led her to the table just in front of Hawkins'.

The two girls - but mostly Nami - were talking about their impressions of the campus, of the people there, of what they were looking forward to. As she seemed more aware of the traditions of the university, Nami offered to give her some 'insights' on the occasion of a shopping spree the very afternoon, which Robin gladly accepted. Nami pointed out it would also give them the opportunity to catch up on what they had respectively been up to during the summer.

Apparently done with their conversation, since Nami looked back at Kaya, motioning her if things were going great with her new conversation partner, Robin decided to turn over to face Hawkins. Hawkins almost immediately lifted his face to meet her glance.

"Hello Hawkins… Do you remember me? I'm Drake's friend from Grand Line High, Nico Robin." she nervously greeted him.

"Yeah, of course." he dully responded "You were staying over for some practice sessions. Your lunches were great, apparently." Well, dang, but that was the truth and they both knew it. Robin had never engaged any conversation with Drake's teammates. He probably was thrown off by her unprecedented effort.

"Right, well, I… Nice to 'formally' meet you then, I guess, _fufufu_" she affirmed as she extended her hand.

She managed to draw a light smirk on his face while his hand was about to collide with hers for the most upsetting handshake, _ever_.

**_~ ~ ~ It felt as if the portal to the darkest abysses were open below their feet, as if the atmosphere was plunged in a imbroglio of flows of negativity, as if waves of morbidity rocked their surroundings. Sensing the mood had suddenly changed, Nami turned back to check on her two classmates who seemed to be… possessed? She tensed up, making her hair stand straight up on her skin. There were no air currents but their hair was floating in the middle of immaterial purple lightning bolts. She rubbed her eyes to make sure she was not hallucinating, her alerted eyes were bouncing left and right to look at them. Their shadowed faces showed big cruel grins and gloomy laughters could be heard, these sounds were not coming from their mouths. ~ ~ ~_**

Eventually, their handshake was broken and everything went back in place, leaving an open-mouthed Nami on the verge of fainting.

"Nice to meet you" Hawkins cordially stated.

It was now 9:00AM, the room was almost full of students who were fresh faces for Robin's memory. The teacher finally made her entrance thirty seconds afterwards. A pretty short old woman dressed in a casual attire walked over the dais and took a seat behind her desk. After glancing all around the classroom, she approached the microphone to her face and cleared her throat before introducing herself to the students :

"Dear students, good morning. I am Tsuru and this year I will be your Geopolitics teacher as well as the coordinator of your program. I hope you are pleased with your admission at Reverse Mountain University and I hope you will make the most of this new term with me and the rest of the teachers." a few students clapped, some other heads nodded.

"So, for this first session, I will present you the contents of the International Relations program for the first year and we will go through the syllabus for the Geopolitics class. Is that okay?" she softly chuckled. That time, the response was more enthusiastic and consequently, she happily sorted her papers and prepared herself for her presentation.

As soon as she opened her mouth to speak, the door opened with a loud click. As expected, Nami who was on the alert, straightened her back up to see who was arriving. Was it out of pure ignorant excitement or was it out of a Machiavellian impulse? It was hard to tell but it made her eyes lit up. Rather than commenting on the situation, she shot a vivacious look at Robin who just blinked back at her. Drake was standing at the doorstep, and he was panting, for a change.

"Sorry to be late." was all he managed to utter as he tried to catch his breath.

"It's okay, go take a seat" Tsuru motioned the vacant seats to him, still smiling and showing no signs of annoyance.

Drake hurriedly went to sit next to Hawkins. As he passed by Nami's table, Robin addressed him a smile that he didn't seem to have acknowledged. Not feeling disturbed at all, she decided it would be better to wait for the end of the class to talk to him. On the other hand, Nami made sure to not miss out a single aspect of their interactions for future motivations. She already seemed to design scenarios in her head, judging by the almost vicious grin she was still sporting on her face.

While he was setting his books and supplies on the desk, he started to exchange a few words with Drake.

"It was a pain in the ass to find a spot for my bike. And all these late goers are roaming around in the corridors in such a frantic state, it's no fun." Drake groaned.

"It's fine. It was about to start." Hawkins assented. Making sure he had Drake's attention, he gestured ahead towards Robin, who was sitting with her back to Drake's plain front view. He blinked once, twice and gave his friend a questioning frown.

"I know that's a nice view but what? Do you like her?" Drake whispered leaning at his friend's side.

"You'll see later." Hawkins concluded, underwhelmed to see his friend failing at recognizing Robin.

Tsuru's voice eventually ruled over the classroom as she started to explain the purpose of the International Relations program for the first year. Her explanations about the syllabus were clear and she even gave more information to get in touch with her or the administration of the unit. As the class went along, Robin's attention wandered, she was pensive. She did not realize it by herself, but her passing awkwardness was probably gone now. The past doubts did not really have to be in the first place, and Nami's company did a great job to put her at ease. Face nested in her right palm, she breathed a sigh, content with what this day had brought so far. Even her adventures in the corridors were to be indelibly printed on her memory.

After forty five minutes of presentation and several questions from the students to clarify a few points, it was time to dismiss the class : "Then, we can say it's a wrap for this time." Tsuru claimed. "As you may know, tutorials will only start in two weeks. So you may enjoy your free time as well think about the topic of your research and presentation assignment for the semester. Until next time, have a lovely week!"

Ruckus of chairs sliding behind and documents being put in order ensued. The students were already sharing their impressions about their first class and encounter with the professor Tsuru. Nami took advantage of the situation to meet up with Kaya for a short discussion. It was now 9:47AM and the students could call it a day.

"Drake, I have affairs to attend to so I'll ring you up later. Think about what I showed you earlier, but don't overdo it. It's just so you know." Hawkins bade farewell to him before leaving the classroom.

Drake was lazily arranging his belongings, putting them piece by piece in his bag. He thought about finding a new activity to do on the campus. Unfortunately, there was no volleyball club and the other sports activities available did not suit him. Should he aim for another type of club, then? The crime fiction discussion club? Haha, no way in hell. He'd rather study plastic copies of minuscule fossils than sit through a debate over Hercule Poirot's method in _Murder on the Orient Express_... Fossils, fossils… That was a bad joke after all. He sighed half-heartedly as he continued packing his belongings.

Since her backpack was ready, Robin slowly shifted to greet him and almost chuckled when she saw how mechanically he was acting. She could not tell if he was pretending to ignore her or not but it was not the time to have doubts. She stood up in front of him and clearly called his name. The face that met hers had its eyes half-closed and a somewhat dazed expression.

"Huh" he blurted, slowly realizing who was in from of him. "Robin?! I did not know you were in that block as well!"

"I didn't even know you were enrolling in the International Relations program." was what she came back with.

"You've changed, a lot! I couldn't recognize you with that short hair. It sure…is….changing…" his words trailed off as he tilted his head to the side.

"_Fufufu_, now what? Doesn't it suit me?"

"It does, but it's just really different from the _Rodusa_ style you were endorsing two weeks ago. We haven't seen each other since then."

"I know. I like it that way somehow" she shrugged it off. She suddenly noticed that Nami had came back from her previous spot and was now looking at them with glowing eyes.

"Oh, she is Nami. She attended Grand Line High with us." Robin introduced her to him right away.

"I'm Drake. I think I have heard of you in the past." he smiled and continued "You must be a wild one to have managed to create a bond with Robin so quickly, I think I owe you."

"No, no, not at all. It's impossible to resist her charms. I just had the courage to come to her and it clicked" she blissfully responded. "Sorry to break the mood though, but we have plans so I'm going to borrow her for the rest of the day." she winked.

"All right, guess I will have to let you two go. I'll go see Usopp then. Have fun! See ya!" he waved at them. Robin just nodded and followed Nami out of their classroom. As they were making their way out, Drake found himself staring at Robin's backside, especially her short hair. Had she already changed? True, he was not used to seeing her wear anything else than her previous uniform and the numerous tracksuits she had during her stay at the hospital. It seemed like he had discovered a new face of hers, her attire made her look... He slightly shook his head in disbelief_. T__hose are just mere changes in appearances_, he tried to convice himself. It was a pill kind of hard to swallow for him even if he could not justify himself nor he could put words to describe this feeling anyway.

Upon reaching the ground floor, Nami checked behind them and leaned in Robin's ear :

"I guess the rumors were not that unfounded after all. You seem really close! That conversation may have been the epitome of prosaicness. But! It emitted a lot of sensations, I can tell you. This is... a platonic love."

"_Fufufu_, That's definitely not what you're thinking of. We're really good friends. You really like to gossip, don't you?" Robin slightly grinned back at her, amused by her antics.

"I'm joking, Robin!" she proceeded to lock arms with her friend and expose what she had in store for them during the afternoon.

"First, we may go to the Criminal store. I've been told there were new arrivals. In the neighborhood we'll be heading to, there are a lot of cute other shops we can stop by. Then we should go to the library to check out the books of the bibliography, don't you think? Then… Hm. Maybe we should go for some tea at the Olive Tea Spot. It's nice and loungey! After that, we'll probably shop some more and take a trip to the river bank. Is that okay?"

"Fine with me." Robin was really looking forward to that afternoon. "But, first, Nami, may I go take a cup of coffee at the machine? Let's say, it's essential to my metabolism, to put it shortly."

"Okay, let's meet up at the entrance of the building, then! The cafeteria is right on your left, in case you didn't know."

And with such words, Robin went in search of her treasured and addictive guilty pleasure, coffee. She sped up her pace when she noticed there was no line in front of the coffee machine. Oh, the coffee machine. That door opener to various exquisite experiences that would prevent her from turning into a monster at this point.

Little did she now that thudding steps were approaching her, aiming at the same direction for the same objective. The crash was imminent.


	4. Blind Spot

**Disclaimer : **Featured characters and One Piece belong to Eiichiro Oda.

**A/N : ***brings a trumpet and the score for Zoro's eyecatcher music*.

Hum, hum. Hello, hello. First, I'm really thankful for Tofu's and the other cute guests' reviews I've received so far. It motivates me! I hope the previous chapter wasn't too long...

More in line with this chapter, well, here he comes. Zoro is definitely NOT going to be a side character. To Robin, he'll be that person who pops out of nowhere, shakes your world upside down and such. ZoRobin is a ship that sails itself after all *looks at her DrakexRobin (nonexistent) merchandise with pity*

Anyway, let's go!

*The author gets expelled in the cosmos before she could even bring the trumpet to her mouth*

**Chapter 4 :** Blind Spot

* * *

They would have dashed if it wasn't for their dignity. Immersed in a fierce competition they were unaware of, they were both almost scampering. Their striving only served one and only cause : a cup of espresso.

They were obsessed with the prize. Their surroundings vanished, leaving a lone coffee machine standing at the center of their vision. The closer they were getting to their savior, the more determined but careless they were getting. And they would soon pay the price.

It all started twenty meters away from the machine. Robin was coming from the left and he was coming from the right. The distance shortening at each step, the chances of noticing their rival were getting thinner and the scope of their blind spot was getting bigger.

Finally, it happened. Just after they extended their forefinger to press the cherished button, Robin bending a little over to adjust her height, their heads crashed in an oddly enough harmonious clonk. Green and raven strands of hair tangled together for brief instants before their respective owners collected themselves.

Still astounded by the pain, they simultaneously lifted their hands to caress the just formed bumps on their skulls. Bumps? Who are we kidding! Robin had none. She was flawless.

Their bodies were still close to each other, the skin of their forearms brushing against one another at each ruffling movement to ease the hurt area. The situation finally sinking in for the both of them, they uttered a synchronized "Sorry" and decided to face their victim. Unfortunately, their respective blind spots prevented them to see anything but bits of hair, the half of a head and a complete ear.

As they strained their bodies, they took a step backwards to look at each other's faces. Robin could do with only one. But as far as he was concerned, the only sight he had after his first step was a neck and the teaser of the best cleavage he had ever seen. He mumbled under his breath before moving back again.

Robin appreciated the gratuitous and entertaining show that was in front of her : a young green-haired boy agitated from head to toe, adorning a warming crimson tint all over his face. Her gaze progressively lowered. His broad shoulders and bombing torso made his stance firm and imposing. The rolled up sleeves of his grey jacket exaggerated the calibre of his arms. The legs behind his dark pants must have been as sturdy to be able to support such muscle structure.

When her eye met his face again, she eventually noticed a straight scar which sealed his left eye and three ends of hilts popping up on his right side. The look in his eye was severe but she did not feel an ounce of aggressiveness.

She brought her hand up to her eye-patch. "I guess our accident finds its cause in this." The angelic smile she addressed him did nothing to relax his state of mind, far from that.

Zoro felt his body tense up, slowly giving up to a paralysis he was not used to. Her loveliness was putting him in jeopardy.

She was stunning, to his humble opinion.

A few seconds had to pass before he could recover his spirits, uncertain on what to do, he decided to speak up, or at least try to.

"J-just go ahead." the stuttering was more due to his annoyance of being nervous than the fluster he felt in front of Robin's gorgeous figure.

"_Fufufu_" she giggled and did as she was told to. Her laughter resonated like a purr in his ears. The girl sighed while she inserted her coins into the coffee machine.

As she was waiting for the cup to be filled, he moved closer so he could ask the most absurd question that crossed his mind.

"Where are you coming from?"

Her head flipped towards him. If he had observed her carefully, he would have seen a spark of surprise in her left eye.

"I should be the one asking such question. You're wandering around in a public space with three swords on your back… That's a pretty dangerous thing to do here, if I may say so."

He groaned in response.

"I'm a student here" she still answered, unaffected by his mood swing. "Do I look like a foreigner to you?" she pressed the button a second time.

"No, no, I didn't mean it that way."

An awkward silence marked a pause in their discussion.

"I had a meeting in room 27A at 8:30 but I _decided_ to explore the building. Before I knew it, I ended up here, so why wouldn't I enjoy some coffee! Hahaha…hahaha"

Not fool to the lies that leaked out through his arrogant tone, she calmly stated "You must be late for your first class."

"I already know that!" he gasped at her sudden bluntness and did certainly not see coming the volley of remarks she was about to shoot at him.

"It's 10 now. Your class might have already ended. You should really ask for directions when you're lost. One hour and a half of exploring, that's pretty pushing." he winced at each comment before finally blurting :

"Not here for your preaching, woman. I'm just here to take my coffee."

"Then," she handed him a cup of coffee "To make up for the bump."

Surprised at her kind gesture, he gladly accepted the cup of coffee.

His absurd question made sense to him. He was intrigued about where she was coming from, who she was, what she was fond of, what she ever dreamed of. He was bewitched by her lovely appearance, the soothing of her deep voice, her enchanting aquamarine eye, the grace she embodied. The list of things he admired in her could go on and on. Her sole presence turned out to smooth his usually rougher nature.

"Robin!" Nami's cheerful voice could be heard near the entrance Robin came from. Their reactions differed, drastically.

"_Ara..._"

"Her, here?!"

When she spinned back to him, he had frantically put his hood over his hair.

"You're a quite peculiar one." she said with a slight tug at the corner of her mouth. "I'm in a hurry but I hope to bump into you again in the near future. Good luck for the rest. Have a nice day,_ Mr. Swordsman_".

"Yeah". He took him several seconds to murmur this in a daydreaming state as he watched her walking towards the door of cafeteria.

When she was out of sight, he finally pulled down his hood, forced out a sigh of relief and tugged the collar of his vest.

"Phew!"

"_Zoro ya_, there you were. You've probably missed the first class." His raven-haired friend, Trafalgar Law, called out as he approached him.

"Tch! I had my own business down there, if you excuse me."

"The dean of your department irrupted in our class in panic. He was looking for you since 8:30 something."

"Well, too bad."

"You just got lost, didn't you?"

His older friend from Rio High School was right but Zoro would rather munch on wood than admit it. The two had stuck together for a long time now, being put in the same classes, attending the same sports clubs and now enrolling in the same university.

Since he had graduated ahead of any average boy's age - even though he was far from being a genius -, Zoro wanted nothing but sign up to local and national kendo competitions, one after the other, dropping the school life for ever. His master had tried to make him understand how additional education was important but no, Zoro would not listen to him.

Law, however, had managed to convince him about the huge opportunities he would have if he would go on for a little bit more. One particular sport training course offered its students the chance to perfect their skills in one's favorite discipline on the occasion of a year spent abroad. Greedy for new challenges and motivated by his long-standing resolve, Zoro decided to apply. He was determined to get his spot and fly to Kuraigana Island so he could challenge Dracule Mihawk, the greatest swordsman in the world.

You fast-forward a little bit and there they were, freshmen at Reverse Mountain University, separated for the first time but still looking out for each other. Over the summer, they decided to move in together, because Law needed "to watch over his fucking troublemaking ass".

Law eventually noticed that Zoro was staring in Robin's direction.

"Another short-haired one, I see" he remarked "Who was she?"

_"Who was she? Who was she…? Wait, who was she?!" _Then it hit him. He did not even ask about her name. Trying to refrain this harsh realization from creeping into him, he fired back :

"I don't even know and that's none of your business."

"Whatever you're saying. The Science department is holding its annual orientation conference in fifteen minutes so we should get going" Law added.

"Right."

"After lunch, we'll head to our new flat in the Yellow River Bank neighborhood. You'll like it. The surroundings are cool, perfect for your meditation crap."

"Watch your mouth, dude. I still can't get why I chose to be your flatmate."

As they were walking through the corridor leading to the Conference room, he looked back one last time to the coffee machine. Maybe university in itself was not that bad.


	5. Keep It Down

**Disclaimer : **Featured characters and One Piece belong to Eiichiro Oda.

**A/N :  
**Time to answer/comment the reviews! (Thank you, thank you. Hm, hm.)  
Guest who wants the chapters to be longer : I hope you will be pleased with that one and those that will surely follow. I'll try to make them longer from now on. I really enjoyed writing that one. AND DO NOT DIE, PLEASE!  
too lazy to login : (hahaha) My character chart for the protagonists is literally a constellation but yes, if you're talking about "*naked angels singing in a romantic setting * ~ Love ~ *more naked angels singing in a romantic setting*", then there will be a triangle.  
Tofu : Teehee! All right, I try my best to make it better than mediocre but with your stamp of approval, no need to worry, hohohoho.

**Chapter 5 :** Keep It Down

* * *

The afternoon was coming to an end in Orange Town. The rose-colored clouds were already darkening the azure sky.

The two lovely friends had had it their way since they went out in the morning. As they chit-chatted throughout the day, they discovered little details that brought them closer to one another. Robin learned than Nami was younger than her, and that she was, indeed, a little cheeky genius. Nami got to know that Robin had dropped ballet and that she was very fond of archeology, to say the least.

Nami also told her why she chose to attend the International Relations course at Reverse Moutain University. She wanted to major in geography in the first place. What motivated her choice were the "the very big and huge lucrative careers", as she said, that awaited her after her graduation.

Yes, Nami really loved her money. Robin witnessed her devotion when she negotiated their purchases in the Criminal store. When they had made it out of the boutique, the bags they held contained the most expensive pieces of the latest collection, bought with a 85% rebate, if you please. The tormented manager could be heard yelling "bankruptcy" at the top of his lungs and Nami interpreted it as the ode to victory.

The two girls shared a mutual understanding of their curiosity. They both wanted to know how and why the world ran that way, in their own perspectives. As they - shyly then enthusiastically - talked about their pasts, Robin and Nami found in each other a figure they wished they had known at an earlier stage of their lives. It pretty much tied the knot of their friendship.

Robin really enjoyed and admired her spunkiness. Nami had to live on her own with her older sister, Nojiko, at a very young age after their mother had died during a battle operation on the high sea. Robin could sense the pain that spoiled her voice when she talked about it. But, Nami being the way she was, her enthusiastic persona quickly took over and reassured her friend.

On the other hand, Robin's past deeply moved Nami. She regretted that Robin had enveloped herself in darkness for such a long time but she respected her discretion. Her endurance forged her the way she was and she looked up to the mature young woman who was at her side. Without realizing it, Nami's hold on her friend's arm gave way to an occasional encouraging stroke.

The two were now strolling on the bank of the Yellow River. The weather was still warm yet a little breezy for this day of late September. They had picked ice creams a little earlier, mandarine-flavored for Nami, pistachio and lilac for Robin. They caught the attention of a lot of passers-by who were mesmerized by their beauty. Nami took advantage of the situation, putting quite a show when one man or two approached them for their numbers and what not.

On a more upbeat note, their girl talk bounced between the topic of their hair, the preparations of their first summer trip together at the end of the year, the good restaurants of the town and… Hawkins? :

"I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him at the Olive Tea Spot." Nami revealed.

"_Fufufu_, why so?"

"He seems so… " she trailed off.

"Kooky?" Robin suggested.

"Yes, kooky, dark and whatever. And, there! He was courted by dozens of female customers!"

"Indeed, his charms are appreciated. He's quite the ladies' man there."

"Oh, has he caught your attention in _that_ sense? You did click well earlier, if I remember correctly" Nami's grin was getting wider.

"_Fufufu_, sorry to disappoint you, but no." she glanced at her friend before adding, "We both understand and share aspirations towards the underworld, if you see what I'm a getting at." Her serious look in her left eye creeped out Nami who remembered the nightmarish sight of their handshake.

"Eeeeeek!" she shrieked.

"_Fufufu_, I saw your face at that time. You looked more than lost. I was joking." she said as she patted Nami's head.

"I hope you are… Let's change the subject! Your turn."

"Right, miss Nami. Hm… Have we talked about the people we've met at the university so far?" Robin asked.

"Oh, good choice, good choice, my friend. No, we haven't. Shall we?" Nami answered in an amusing tone.

"_Fufufu_, yes."

"As expected, my outstanding look had its victims this morning but let's pass that. Let's see… There's Makino, Kaya,…" she asserted while counting on her fingers.

"Kaya seems really lovely. Who is Makino?"

"Ah, she is in second-year, majoring in Business Management. I had a little trouble on the campus this morning and she helped me out."

Robin turned her head to face Nami "A senior? I'd gladly meet her. If you don't mind?"

"Of course! You'll see, she's really kind. And you, Robin?"

"I haven't met very interesting people." she shyly replied.

"There must have been people who caught your attention, come on."

"This morning, I had a little accident with a guy…"

"A guy?! When?" Nami excitedly asked.

"When I went for my coffee and… I've also met a man named Franky in the corridors."

"Ah! Franky!" the ginger-haired reacted, "I've seen him too."

"He's a strange one." Robin blurted.

"I know. Apparently, he's in second year. Usopp told me a little about him. He said that in spite of his eccentric appearance and easy courting, he's a really nice guy." Nami explained.

"I could tell." Robin nodded, "He invited me to the MechaClub's base but I have no idea of what it is."

"Ah, this! When Usopp mentioned it, I thought it was some basement center for DIY geeks. Because he's into that kind of stuff. He even has his own workshop at home. Anyway! The MechaClub is a hype recreation club on the campus!"

"And where does the 'MechaClub' come from?"

"Hm… If I didn't get it wrong, it's because it's managed by geniuses in mechanics. Its two heads are Franky and Iceburg, but the latter is more secretive."

"And does Usopp plan to enter it?" Robin asked.

"Exactly, so when he joins it, he'll certainly provide us with V.I.P access, yay!" Nami enthusiastically said.

"_Fufufu_, it's interesting. I look forward to it."

Robin became contemplative. When was the last time she enjoyed a pleasant walk like this? She then remembered the few times she and X Drake visited various places in Torino Island. It had not been that much time, had it? "_Three weeks"_ she mockingly thought.

She pondered gifting him something for making her deadbeat summer worth something. But what? A cake? She briefly reminisced their last day of school… Too corny. Clothes? But does he even care about clothes? A book? On the secret techniques of volleyball? _Fufufu_. In any case, she did really feel she had to return the favor as soon as she could. Maybe she could invite him over for dinner in the near future. But that a would be a date, wouldn't it?

She blushed on the spur of the moment. Fortunately, Nami was not looking, too busy to appreciate the landscape surrounding them. "_Robin, you're thinking too much._" she scolded herself. But it somehow pained her heart to have taken his support and extraordinary friendship for granted. The situation was extreme.

Robin deeply considered that her friendship with Drake could not be a one-way one and, unfortunately for her, the situation made her believe it was the case. The determination he had to get her back on her feet again, to make her believe she had to go on, made a huge impact on her own resolve. The sincere care he had had since the beginning and the perfectly suited words he had told her rang in her mind sometimes. Robin had a great fondness for the friendship he had offered her, and for the wonderful individual he was. This is why she was more than excited to think about this precious gift. Her heart pounded wildly because of the sudden adrenaline. It was something that she held very dear to herself.

Robin sighed, trying to calm herself and it alerted her friend :

"Robin, what are you thinking of?"

"It's a secret." Robin murmured as she placed her index finger on her mouth.

* * *

Not that far ahead of them, three young men were quarreling over how messily their moving in was progressing. Kid, Law and Zoro had been trying to move their furniture in their apartment located on the second floor. Even though they had been working on it for at least two hours, it did not seem they had achieved much : most of it was out in the street. Being strong and robust as they were, it should not have been that huge of a problem. Yet, it was and Law was getting tired of it.

Whenever he tried to take his eyes off his two flatmates so he could eventually move in their belongings, disaster ensued. Zoro just kept going on the wrong floor and Kid's destructive and reckless nature had already cost them two chairs, a table and a "damn micro-wave oven".

As he breathed out a grumpy sigh, Law sat on their sofa with its arms stretched out and resting on top of the back of the sofa, right in the middle of the sidewalk. He then stared at the landscape in front of him. Kid was losing it and was about to pick a fight with him. The two did not know each other but they would have to cope with one another for two weeks.

Prior to the current scene, Law's mentor, Vergo, had demanded him to give Kidd a "very warming welcome" or he "would be facing some real harsh consequences, very soon". In other words, Law had no other choice to let him tag along for a while. Merely one hour after their first encounter at the water train station, one could already draw the conclusion that they did surely not get along, their respective bossy nature being at the core of problem.

On the other hand, Zoro had little interest in their "catty antics" as he coined their disputes. He wanted to get done, celebrate an impromptu house-warming party, that is to say guzzle alcohol for hours and sleep the rest of the time left. Yet, his so bad sense of direction and the misconduct it caused did not even help his cause, at all.

"Fuck you!" Kidd shouted at Law who only responded by flipping him off, his middle finger standing straight and proud in the air! Kidd went inside, preferring to stay alone in the end.

Zoro joined Law soon after and just sat cross-legged besides him, on the ground.

"Look at all the trouble this university stuff has brought into my life." the green-haired one sighed.

"Don't even start. I don't have the time for your sobbing. I'm about to break loose." Law retorted.

"You asked for it though."

Law just glared down at him before going back to his previous position. Not feeling the necessity to get back at him, he just closed his eyes.

"YOU FREAK!" a feminine voice yelled.

To rewind a little back, Nami had recognized Zoro from afar as she and Robin were still strolling near the bank. When she spotted his unique hair, the ginger girl immediately pointed at him, much to Robin's bewilderment. Without a word, she had dashed towards the boys' direction.

When Robin realized who she was aiming at, she idly smiled. "_We meet again._" were the words she uttered as she caught up with them. Unaware of this connection with the green-haired one, Robin was lured by his figure. It emitted an imposing and mysterious aura that affected her senses. Their previous meeting had almost left her in a daze when she caught his sight and she could not quite put a finger on this sensation yet.

Zoro cringed and bulged an eye when he distinguished Nami's voice. He even started to panic as she was coming closer, determined to lecture him or beat the ass out of him. He could not tell yet. Quickly enough, he, however, noticed another approaching silhouette that he instantaneously recognized. He should have countered Nami at this point but he remained silent, speachless before the raven-haired girl's sudden appearance. Unfortunately, he did not have the time to let his unsealed eye roam over her pleasurable gorgeous figure since Nami was on the verge to snap him out his thoughts.

"You still wander around here as you please and without an ounce of guiltiness, I can't believe it!" she exclaimed.

"Why wouldn't I? You witch, leave me alone, geez!"

"How could I leave you alone after what you've done to Vivi? Do you think she's okay, now? Huh?! Do you think she really is?!"

"She found another one afterwards, don't you know?" Zoro groaned.

"Still! You insensitive prick broke her heart. She stopped smiling as she used to and that's YOUR fault!"

"Just get over it." Zoro coldly said.

Law eventually cracked an eye to witness the ruckus that was happening next to him :

"Isn't that our Rio Princess's friend over here?" he turned to Zoro "Dating the bluey one was probably the saddest result of that bet."

"W h a t?! What are you talking about? And who are you to butt in anyway?!" Nami was shocked and she was getting angrier.

"I was joking. But he's right, you need to get over it." Law stated, a little irritated.

"So that was why you acted so strangely all of a sudden, Nami?" Robin intruded on their conversation.

"Oh, Robin. Sorry. Don't worry about it. These morons are just a waste of time." Nami nonetheless realized that the two young men were now staring at Robin and that her friend was staring back at one of them, in particular. "Do you know them?"

"You know the little accident I told you about? He's the one I bumped into." Robin calmly said as she gestured towards Zoro.

"Ugh…" Nami grumbled, "I warn you, this mosshead is especially rude."

"_Fufufu_," Robin chuckled, "you don't really have to."

"Yes, I have and what's with the smile?! I'm serious, Robin! You will not get anywhere if you hang out with him."

"I'm not thinking of going anywhere, Nami." Robin tried to reassure her friend.

Pissed at her persistance, Zoro angrily asked : "Why are you still so angry?!"

Nami facepalmed "For God's sake. Do you have a poor memory or what? And of all things, you dumped her on her birthday, in front of everyone else!"

"Good times." Law uttered

"I don't pray to God." Zoro followed.

"Shut up! How can you be so…"

"All right missy, maybe it'd be better you invested your energy in helping us move in." Law shot at her.

"Why the hell would I?" she began, "I am already having a great time with my very cute friend. So sorry, morons, but this is a no." she arrogantly claimed "Right, Robin?"

But when she faced Robin to get her friend's reaction, she did not expect the following words :

"I wouldn't mind actually, Nami." Robin firstly said. "It sounds fun." she added, rubbing it in even more harshly for her now desperate friend.

"But, why?! Ro-" Nami began.

"Guess that settles it." he sternly affirmed. Law got up and dusted off his pants. "We just have to put a little order inside. The two others will bring the last pieces of furniture to the flat. The other one is inside and he's worse than us, beware."

"He has a really bad temper." Zoro nodded as he got up and started to follow Law who was heading towards the door of the residence.

"Speak for yourself!" Nami fired. "Robin, are you sure about this?" she then mewled.

"Yes, _fufufu_, this seems promising."

"If you say so…" her words trailed off… "Hey! Wait a minute, I'm definitely not doing this for free! What's the reward? Nothing comes without a price. That's common sense!"

"Our gratitude." the green-haired guy blurted.

"Go to hell with that!"

"Tsk. Okay. Excellent french cuisine on our balcony, is that all right?" Law suggested.

"I guess but it'd better be excellent by MY standards." she insisted after receiving Robin's approval.

In a matter of few seconds, Law had got closer to Zoro and was now whispering to him :

"You need to ring Sanji up."

"What?! No!"

"I might defend the bluey one's cause and that'd be the end of you."

"Tch! All right, I will when we're done."

"Good."

"So, when are we getting into it?" Nami butted in their interaction as she clapped her hands once.

"Come, I'll tell you the details of the organization." Law replied.

Nami and Robin were to follow him inside but the raven-haired girl stopped at the doorstep.

"It's a small world, isn't it?" she spoke, clearly addressing herself to Zoro. "I didn't expect to meet you so soon, Mr. Swordsman." A tender smile soon followed her words.

"Hm." he simply nodded.

"It means that you may give me your name, at this point."

"Zoro. It's Roronoa Zoro."

"It suits you." He looked up at her, puzzled. "Mine is Nico Robin. It's a pleasure" she eventually graciously said before entering their residence.

"_Sure, yes, it is"_ he thought as he stared at her backside. He then lifted a massive table to bring into their flat.

Nami pretty much managed all the operations of getting the remaining furniture inside. She kept bossing around Kidd and Zoro, much to their annoyance. She resorted to a whistle to guide Zoro in the staircase and she yelled at Kid whenever he was about to clutch and crush something. As for Robin, she helped Law tidy up their apartment, giving him great advicce on interior decoration and convenience. Law was satisfied with her choices and complimented her "keen eye".

After three hours of hard work, they all sat on the large sofa in the living room and took the time - and especially the patience, in Nami's case - to learn more about one another. As time went by, Nami's previous resentment towards Zoro seemed to have toned down. They would refrain from bringing up the topic anyway. She asked them about the courses they were following. She learned that Law was pursuing medical education while the "mosshead" was enrolled in the Sports Training program. Both of them were surprised when they got to know she was attending the International Relations course with Robin and that she had just met her, joking that 'Miss Chatterbox would rather belong to a Sociology program or else'. Aside that, the mood was really relaxed between the three of them, as they waited for their assigned cook to arrive.

Back to Robin, strangely enough, her discussion partner turned out to be Kid who she joined very soon in the kitchen to prepare coffee. From their discussion, she would mostly remember his hot-headed and complex personality, a conclusion she drew after his excessive use of the word 'destruction' while he talked about his temporary position as a curator at the Museum of Modern Art of Orange Town.

The evening went smoothly. The girls insisted they wanted to enjoy their reward alone. They did not want to eat with brutes that would waste the taste of their food and the magnificent scenery at the balcony. Something that their waiter of the night totally backed up.

A young cook named Sanji, said to be Zoro's friend even though it was hard to believe it judging from their explosive interactions, came to attend them like princesses. He swooned over them and proposed them a date almost every five minutes. It annoyed Nami, Robin took it a little easier yet she still declined politely. Firstly, he served them a few appetizers. The main course was a plate of scallops cooked in apple cider and seasoned with dried walnuts, a meal he accompanied with a very good white whine. Last but not least, their dessert was a mousse that mixed savors of passion fruit and rose, served with its whisky-flavored _tuiles_.

In contrast with their sophisticated food, the boys had to go for a big chunky pizza. They had tried to persuade Sanji to cook them at least _pasta_ but the cook told them to "fuck off" because he only devoted his attention to the ladies. Lounging on their sofa, they were commenting a soccer match on television and drinking beers. Ten'o'clock rang and the girls decided to bid them farewell, exchanging their phone numbers and insisting that they see each other at the university.

On their way to the Gyonchorda Residence, Nami's place, the chat revolved around food further to their experience with Sanji's cooking. As they held their hands under the starry night sky, the two debated over all types of food and savors. They also discussed alcohol and hangovers, Nami being surprised that Robin had never gone all-out when it came to drink for the sake of it.

Eventually, the two young women had to part ways and Robin took the bus back home. She was tired but content. What a day. She was almost overwhelmed as she recapped in her head everything that had happened to her in such a short span of time.

While she was arranging her hair and adjusting her eye-patch, her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Robin? Are you alive?" Drake jokingly asked.

"_Fufufu_, what's going on? Has the news that I've been assassinated aired yet?"

"Not really, I wanted to know what you had been up to. You know, Nami kinda abducted you this morning."

"Didn't it look consensual?"

"Not really."

She laughed it off. "I'm fine. Thank you for asking. Our day was hectic."

"Tell me about it. She doesn't seem to tire at all."

"Indeed, I adore her. What about yours, Drake?"

"My Nami?"

"_Fufufu_, no, you silly. Your day."

"Usopp and I met eccentric people. You'll probably be fond of them. And I saw Smoker too, he's still sulky."

"But he smiles often when you're around." she remarked.

"I guess. My charms are really versatile, you know."

"What's with the humor tonight?" she was still giggling because of his previous comment.

"Is that weird? I'm feeling great, that's all."

"Okay, I understand."

"Do you really understand?"

"Do I really understand why you're feeling great, X Drake?"

"Yes, Nico Robin."

"…"

"Is that the silence of defeat?" he sneakily asked.

"You sound tipsy."

"…"

" And the verdict is?"

"…"

"I'm right."

"You're right. We're hanging in a bar right now with everyone, I just went out to get your news." he confessed.

"I appreciate your concern."

"Good. I'm going back in now, though. Hawkins is calling me. I can hear that you're on the bus, so head safely home. Take care, Nico Robin." the red-haired advised her.

"I surely will. Good night, Drake."

"See you tomorrow." he hung up the phone.

Robin lightly chuckled one last time, reminiscing the conversation she just had. Before she knew it, she yawned, bringing her hand to her mouth. Her eagerness to go home and drift to sleep had taken its toll on her.

* * *

At the same time, in a flat located near the Yellow River, one individual was locked in his room and was lying down on his bed, resting his head on his left arm. The young green-haired man held his phone in his right hand, browsing through its contact list. Or maybe it would be more appropriate to say that he was joggling with the contacts that circled Robin's name.

The girl was more than fine, he thought. Still, the way she made him feel whenever their unsealed eyes met, whenever she uttered any words, whenever she moved. He discarded the card of pure physical attraction. She provoked deeper sensations within his body, sensations that called out to his primitive instincts. Was it genuine affection? "_Impossible, I barely know her! Try to sleep, son."_

With such words, Zoro tried to fall asleep but as soon as he closed his eyes, images of Robin appeared in his mind. She was looking at him, getting closer to him and before he knew it, its little story got rather very racy; and the arousal was inevitable.

"No, no, no, no, no! Not now." he murmured to himself.

"Dartboard, dartboard, dartboard…" "_You're my target, Zoro_" were the words she mumbled in his left ear in the imagined scene.

"Shit! Why isn't it working?!"

"Quick, quick, something!" he kept whispering to himself, "Narwhal?" And it did the job.

"Phew... Who the hell is she?"

Several hours later, when the sun peeked through his window he felt "like shit". In fact, he had not slept that night, at all.


	6. Stepping Out

**Disclaimer : **Featured characters and One Piece belong to Eiichiro Oda.

**A/N : ***creeps up on the readers from the entrance of her cave, wrapped up in a large dark cape*

Ah… I'm in misery.

Mistakes, mistakes and etc, when will I get rid of you? It tortures my mind to see these horrors and atrocities I wrote… Ah… *looks at her fic with sad eyes*

Also, I probably won't be able to update as regularly for the next 3-4 weeks because, yeah, uni is sucking all my energy. By the time I'm out of this mess, maybe i'll have a nice Beta reader for this fic, if I ever find one. *sobs* What can I say until then... In the next chapter Zoro makes his (bold) move and we have a girls-only party. Hm, hm.

Please, do not forget to review. (if you wish to do so!)

*crawls back into her cave*

**Chapter 6 : **Stepping Out

* * *

"My dear Robin?" a hoarse voice sounded on the other side of the line.

"Professor Clover!"

Three days had passed since Robin had entered university for the first time. When her late mother's friend called her, the young lady had just went out of a local bookstore and she was on her way to meet up with her friends at the MechaBase for the first time, on this free day. She had decided to walk the whole trip.

"Hehehe, it's been a long time. how are you doing on this first day of October?"

"I am doing great. What about you? How is Maria?"

"I am doing fine, my dear Robin. Maria is already on her way back home."

"Is that so? That's a good news to hear! And the ruins?"

"Hehehe, as expected from you, Robin." he remarked "It is impossible to describe with words the discoveries we've made. The chambers are giving away their secrets one by one, so we have to diligently progress, one step at a time. It is complex but we are doing pretty good."

"I wish we could talk about it more…" she regretted.

"Don't worry. Maria will make sure to tell you everything you need to know!" Clover reassured her.

"Understood!"

"I called you to talk about something else, actually."

"What is it?"

"Robin, do you feel right at our place?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I? Has anything happened?"

"Don't you want to go live on your own, Robin?" Clover's tone unconsciously sounded severe.

"I…Is there anything wrong with me?" Robin worryingly asked.

"No, no! What I meant is that a lot of people of your age dream of having a space on their own. You are a very beautiful young woman now. You may be craving for new adventures, right, my little Robin?"

"Then, should I?" her concern was genuine.

"We don't want to force you to take your independence. You've always been like our daughter so that's why we also feel the need to help you grow and take part on your own trip towards adulthood." the professor stated.

Indeed, Robin had already imagined a life on her own. Sometimes, she pictured herself sitting cosily on her own little sofa, reading her novels or wondering about what to eat for dinner. She also saw herself owning a cat or maybe two, one white and the other one tabby. She did not feel trapped in Professor Clover's and Maria's home, far from that. The sense of security was strong. Robin was in fact looking for a riskier reality. She wanted to know how strong she could be on her own when faced with mishaps of your ordinary everyday life.

"… Can I, Professor Clover?" she finally uttered after a few seconds of silence.

"Hahaha, of course!" he laughed then added "It's supposed to be a surprise that Maria wanted to announce you this evening. Although I really wanted to tell you first."

"I see" she chuckled but her voice trembled a little bit.

"Try to act surprised when she mentions it!" Clover exclaimed "In any case, you will always be welcomed at our home, your home. We are more than proud of what you've become."

"I cannot find the words to express my gratitude…"

"Hehehe, just eat well and take care, my little Robin."

"I will. I really hope to hear from you soon again. Have a nice day, Professor Clover."

"So do I, so do I. Goodbye, Robin."

Just after he hung up, Robin stared at her cellphone screen then looked up at the grey sky above her head. Her left eye was sparkling brightly with excitement. The azure of her eye was blurred with impending tears she hurriedly wiped away. The smile which graced her face was unprecedented. it seemed like her life was taking a very well appreciated turn, at last. With such positive impression in her mind, she arranged her black shirtwaist dress then headed towards the MechaClub's base to join Nami and her other friends. It would probably take her twenty minutes to arrive there.

* * *

She glanced at her received text messages one last time.

_[X Drake and Usopp are finally bringing us to the MechaClub! Come ASAP!]_

_[When you get to the campus, head to the left. The entrance is right behind the cherry blossom alley of the park. And, remember! 'Bravest Warrior!']_

The day before, the group of friends had celebrated Usopp's sudden admission to the MechaClub. The long-nosed individual had evidently bragged about his new occupation there but he especially was proud of his new nickname among the team : the 'Bravest Warrior'. On the occasion, Usopp also introduced them to the peculiarities of the club. He insisted that strangers mention the name of their 'Captain' - something the others had a hard time believing - when they were about to pass the entrance. Thus, they would normally refer to 'Captain Bravest Warrior' if they ever wished to cross the door.

As indicated in Nami's second text message, Robin bypassed both the main building and the park of the campus. When she neared the entrance to the two-floored building, she saw two men standing at each side of the door. They were dressed with black puffed up bottoms in iron, roller skates and they wore purple-tinted googles on their eyes. When Robin reached their level, she politely said :

"I come here to see 'Captain Bravest Warrior'"

The spiky haired guy laughed it off "You're the third one who came with the 'Captain' thingy. All right, lady, you can pass."

"_I __knew it_" she briefly thought, she then purred "Thank you."

For a university recreation spot, the MechaClub was certainly an eccentric one. The place was a very spacious saloon bar decorated in a very Venetian Baroque-inspired style which was very reminiscent of the architecture of Orange Town's Blue Station. The yellow, grey and blue tones of the curtains and walls immersed the ground floor in an idyllic appeasing atmosphere.

A huge bar was located at the left of the entrance and a certain number of liquors could be seen on the shelves. Right next to it, there was a restaurant area that filled pretty much the left side of the ground floor. The right side consisted in an ensemble of billiard tables and casino table games. At the back of the club, there was a scene on which a skeletal man was performing a sweet air of free jazz with his band.

Robin smiled at the unbelievable sight that was in front of her. This place was not yet familiar but it already seemed to embrace her. The library suited her fine but so did any other great loungey environment. As she hummed along the music notes that emanated from the strange musician's guitar, the raven-haired scanned through the place, looking for familiar faces.

When she eventually spotted her ginger friend, her chances of escaping her attack of affection had narrowed down to zero.

"Robin! I've waited forever!"

"Hello Nami. I'm sorry but I've heard good news on my way here." Robin uttered while hugging her friend back.

"So you're Robin…" a young woman with dark green hair appeared behind Nami. "She has been mentioning your name for minutes and minutes." she said as she placed her hands on Nami's shoulders. "I'm Makino. Nami said that you wanted to meet me."

"Indeed."

"All right, then, come at the bar, have you eaten yet?"

"Ah, no, I haven't." Robin answered.

"I'll prepare you a snack." Makino tenderly smiled.

The three women headed in the direction of the bar. Whereas Makino went behind the counter, Nami and Robin both sat on wooden bar stools.

"I'll be right back." Makino said with another kind-hearted smile before taking her leave. Her two younger companions nodded and Nami resumed the conversation with Robin :

"Isn't she wonderful?"

"She totally is, Nami. I'm glad I got to meet her. I have many questions to ask her."

"Hehe. I can tell." she teased her. "Hey, Robin. What's the good news you talked about earlier?"

Robin strained up and looked at her friend in the eyes, a delighted smile plastered all over her face.

"I'm moving out to my own place."

Nami squealed with glee, genuinely happy for her friend. "And where are you going to live? Is it with someone? Is it far from here?"

"I don't know the details yet. I'm going to talk about it tonight at home." Robin sighed before adding "It's amazing, isn't it?"

"It's more than amazing, Robin!" her friend corrected. "We have to prepare a house-warming party! Let me take care of this."

"_Fufufu_, okay." Robin turned round to look at the other parts of the room. "This place is nice, isn't it, Nami?"

"Yeah… I arrived a hour ago." She then facepalmed, recalling the moment she came there. "Ugh, I won't forgive Usopp for his prank, so embarrassing…"

Robin giggled. "I kind of saw it coming but did as he told us nevertheless."

"Speaking of him, he's settling stuff with Franky on the first floor. He introduced me to a few people here. Makino, that I'd already met, is a waitress here. The one who is performing over there is Brook. The blond guy and the tall dude with spiky hair at the big billiard table are Paulie and Lulu. They are playing with Hawkins and X Drake, by the way." Nami concluded, twitching her eyebrows.

"_Fufufu_, Nami."

"What! I didn't say anything. The club is exceptionally open today. They're usually busy with projects at this period of the year."

"I see."

At this very moment, Makino came back with few club sandwiches and lemonade bottles for her friends. The three girls started to talk about life at the university. Makino was assaulted by their questions on her impression as a former freshman, on how she was doing in her second year, on the assumptions she had on the new freshmen. They also talked about the MechaClub, Makino joking a lot about its strange members' antics.

"Robin!" X Drake had called her from afar and he was gesturing her to come at the pool table where he was.

Robin got up and excused herself with a smile, more exaggerated than the previous one, before heading towards his direction.

Makino glanced at Nami with curious eyes. The red-haired one just shrugged it off even though the grin that covered her face let it slip that she was, in fact, very interested to see what was coming next.

X Drake was wearing a casual white shirt with several buttons open and a pair of dark blue leather trousers. He was tightly holding a billiard cue, resting his chin on the head of the object. Robin was amused by his position and even chuckled a little bit as she got closer to him.

"Hi, Drake, Hawkins." She had not suppressed the content smile that adorned her face. Hawkins nodded back coolly.

"Oh, you seem to be in a great mood today." he noted.

"It is the case. What's going on? Why did you call me?"

"Ah yeah. Look! That's not part of our program but it should! Playing billiard is a must when you attend university." he cheerily exclaimed.

"_Fufufu_, and so?"

"I'm going to teach you a little bit." he waved his hands, signalling her to come closer.

"What if I don't want to?" she had remained on her spot.

He almost gasped after her question. On the moment, he could not think of any perfect argument to make her change her mind without diving into another battle of wits. He remained speechless.

"_Fufufu_, I am kidding. Go ahead, I'm all ears."

He gulped. "Good." then he handed her billiard stick before stating "For this lesson, Hawkins and I will be your guinea pigs."

"I have agreed." Hawkins claimed.

"_Fufufu_, okay."

He went on explaining the basic rules of the game. Robin had already read about the principles of a pool game, she still listened politely to her friend's dynamic presentation as he showed her the different balls, the pockets on the table and what not. Everything was settled so their practice game could start.

"Okay. Hawkins will break this time."

The break shot he delivered was not too strong and enabled Robin to aim for the close orange object ball that was directly crossed with the cue ball. She made her way to the end of a long side and Drake followed her, ready to give her the next instructions.

"Now, you hold your cue stick like this and you try to hit the cue ball on its right side." he asserted while mimicking his usual stance.

But what Robin interpreted as the right position almost lead her to scratch the bed and break the cue stick in half at the same time, which called for Drake's sudden intervention :

"No, no, no, no, not like this!" He let his billiard cue rest against the side of the table and dashed behind her. He circled his arms around her and joined his hands in a grasp that closed onto hers.

"Wait, Drake!" she panicked a little "Are you sure that you can clearly see what you're doing? Make sure not to burst my other eye."

On the opposite side of the table, Hawkins snickered as he put chalk on the head of his cue. Robin looked up to Drake with a teasing eye but her red-haired friend just sighed in response. He proceeded to lower his head so it could rest on Robin's left shoulder and calmly instructed :

"The position of your feet is fine but your grip is too strong and your hand is not enough flat."

Robin nodded, listening carefully and letting him guide her hands.

"Circle the index finger and the thumb of your left hand around the cue, the remaining fingers have to follow and lightly hold it. As for your right hand, flatten it."

Robin did as indicated.

"Good. Since you seem more comfortable with an open bridge, we'll go with it. Now, you have to make sure the cue glide on it slowly so it doesn't change the direction of your aimed trajectory." he continued "Slightly bring your thumb up." He waited for her to be done "Yes, like this. It should glide between the two fingers somehow." he told precisely. "Okay, we're good. Go ahead. Stroke it smoothly."

"Understood. Thank you." she smiled at him and stroke his arm as he released his grip and went on her right side, staying a little behind her.

This time, Robin bent over and hit the ball. It rolled, rolled and rolled and finally fell into the pocket.

Hawkins and X Drake both clapped to her successful hit.

"_Fufufu_, Have you agreed to do that as well?" Robin enquired.

"Yes, we have" they answered in unison.

In the end, the game went really great. Robin even pulled a few tricks and stunts, much to the guys' surprise. Nami and Makino had joined their table and cheered for their friend whenever she succeeded. Robin eventually lost but, as a beginner, her efforts were far from being belittled.

Ten minutes after the girls had gone back to the bar, Usopp and Franky came to greet them :

"Oi, Robin! You came!" Usopp cheered.

"Yes, nice to see you, Captain 'Bravest Warrior'" Robin said in a teasing tone.

"Nice to see you, Captain 'Bravest Warrior'" Nami echoed with her lips pursed.

"Aaah~ Let me hear it again."

"Nice to see you, Usopp." they both said at the same time.

"Not that!"

"Ow! You're the super lady from last time. So? What about my proposition?" Franky butted in.

"_Fufufu_, Franky. I, unfortunately, can't tell yet."

"What proposition?" Nami asked.

"Sis, don't meddle with grown-ups' stuff."

"What do you think I am? Nine?!"

"You're probably not that far though." Franky scoffed.

"What?!" Nami was enraged and Usopp had to hold her to keep her down.

Despite Nami's occasional spikes of anger, the discussion between the group of friends was very thrilling. Franky and Usopp exposed the projects they had for the university and for a few infrastructures in the town. It was a little complicated but impressive above all. The MechaClub had to close at four in the afternoon for a general meeting and the girls were advised of the other upcoming opening day. That time, they would be able to bring more friends.

X Drake decided to give Robin a ride on his bike, which she accepted. It reminded her a lot of their past high school days when he walked her home whenever he could. While he went to go get his bike so he could join her at the entrance, she accompanied Nami and Makino to the entrance of the main building. The two would rather not mention anything related to their relationship for the time being, they still shot cunning glances at each other, from time to time.

When Drake arrived on his motorcycle, the raven-haired young lady bade them farewell and left them in a surprised awe. As they saw her adjusting her black eye-patch before putting on her helmet then positioning herself behind Drake, the girls were doubting about their relationship once again :

"Are you sure they're not dating?" Makino asked.

"Who knows." Nami sighed.

* * *

The trip back to Robin's soon-to-be previous place was marked with little chats, mostly taking place at each red light. That was how Drake learned that she was soon moving out and that she would gladly pair with him for their mandatory group presentation. Robin got to know that Drake had planned to join Hawkins as a waiter at the Olive Tea Spot, which sounded like the funniest idea to her. When he asked her why she was laughing, she simply answered that : "Indeed, his service was impeccable" in her opinion, referring herself to the commissions he had done during her stay at the hospital.

The ride stopped in front of the porch of Robin's house. Drake felt alerted when he felt her arms leaving his torso and her head getting off the top of his back. He had already felt this cold sensation whenever the contact with Robin came to an end. The gaze he had on her figure was a little bit melancholic. He sighed as he took off his helmet and waited for Robin to hand over hers.

"Thank you for the ride."

"Pretty nostalgic, isn't it?"

"You didn't have a bike back then." she retorted, amused.

"Right."

"_Fufufu_, but yes it was. bye Drake. See you tomorrow."

When she noticed that he just nodded and did not seem to get ready to take off anytime soon, Robin decided to head towards her door and waved him farewell at the doorstep. This time he reacted a little bit more and he waved her back.

After she entered the door, Drake could hear happy cheers coming from inside. He recognized Robin's voice, of course, but he also seemed to distinguish her aunt's; Maria, if he remembered correctly. He forced out a sigh before going back to his place.

* * *

His first reflex when he got home was to take a long hot shower. He wanted to sort out all the thoughts that filled his day, the ones related to Robin, especially. Since the very beginning, they had never been this close. The new hints of complicity and the teasing that now marked their friendship pushed him to consider their relationship in a new perspective. It was a double-edged situation.

Robin was a great girl with whom he could see himself finally having another stable romantic relationship. After one year and a half, he had, in fact, moved on.

Even himself could hardly suppress the feelings that rocked his mind whenever she spoke to him or touched him. Hell, Robin had even become the object of his fantasies during those dead hours of the night. Who could seriously turn a blind eye to her poise, to the innate sensuality that emanated from her attitude, to her flower-like scent, to her figure… Her figure…

"Tsk." he muttered as he slapped his palms on his face, still under the jet of the shower. Maybe he would have to switch to cold water.

At the same time, however, he regretted the danger of spoiling everything the two friends had built so far, the pleasant memories, the discretion that locked their embarrassing secrets, this special connection he held dear to himself.

He somehow felt constrained to settle this situation as soon as he could. It had already been years he had let time do the work. Should he precipitate her into his imbroglio of feelings? Should he even talk about it with her?

Sooner or later, he would eventually found out that the doubts that tricked his mind had held him back for too long, unfortunately.


	7. Temptation on a Silver Plate

**Disclaimer : **Featured characters and One Piece belong to Eiichiro Oda.

**A/N : **I thought I would finish it later. Oh, well. There, we have it! Chapter 7! Warning : crackship (I'm not talking about my cherished X Drake x Robin!)

To the guest who posted a review for chapter 5 : Sorry, sorry! I don't think that the moments between the three of them will be sweet (since it's not really a threesome but a love triangle with STRONG and IMPOSING men, grrrrr!) but there will be some, teehee.  
To the following guest : I know but I'm not dying, not yet! I'm glad to see you're enjoying it! Thank you!

Please, review, review!

**Chapter 7 : **Temptation on a Silver Plate

* * *

"We have, thus, seen how the recent improvements of transportation systems across the Grand Line and the Calm Belts have indeed helped enhance trade and capital flows as well as migrations between the Four Seas for the last few decades." Tsuru concluded. "During our next class, we will briefly talk about the underground economy - or economies - so I recommend you use the references of the course bibliography. Thank you for your attention and have a nice end of the week!"

Class was dismissed an three'o'clock rang soon after. As the students hurriedly packed up their belongings, Kaya and Nami rushed to Professor Tsuru for some advice on their works. Usopp had decided to tag along. With a hand gesture from afar, Hawkins, Drake and Robin bade them goodbye and went ahead. They were now advancing in the corridors.

"Who's your partner for your presentation, Hawkins?" Robin asked.

"Kaya, it seems."

She was surprised. "Oh? How come?"

"I don't really know… But I don't mind either. She seems calm."

"Okay. But you're right, she is. And what will be your topic?"

"We don't know yet."

"The same goes for us. We still got time anyway." she claimed while pointing out to Drake.

"Yeah, I don't think it will be a hassle in any case." Hawkins asserted with an idle smile.

Isolated in his own bubble, Drake's eyes were set off in the distance and he did not seem to follow the conversation between his friends.

"When do you plan to invite me to the Olive Tea Spot, Hawkins?" Robin enquired in a pretty demanding tone. "I've heard you read tarot cards from time to time." she added.

Hawkins chuckled "Come by next week." he continued, "Drake is reluctant to see anyone there because of the 'ruckus', you know?" His head shifted to face Drake.

"_Fufufu_, right." Robin also turned to look at Drake who was now absent-mindedly looking over her. He came back to reality when he heard Robin clearing her throat.

"I would like to be formally invited to the Olive Tea Spot, please." she sweetly demanded, looking directly in his eyes.

"No." Drake abruptly answered.

"Why so?" she asked. She had expected the answer but she was still taken aback. It was her thirteenth attempt in two days, after all.

"Because you haven't invited either of us to your house-warming party." he eventually revealed.

"_Fufufu_. I told you!" she protested, "Nami arranged everything and she wanted it to be a girls-only party."

"And if we come to cook?" Drake smirked.

Robin shook her head. "I swore to stick to her plans."

"Then no Olive Tea Spot for you, unless you find something else." Drake asserted.

"Good thing that I asked Hawkins, then." Robin teasingly uttered.

"Actually…" Hawkins began.

"Yes?" Her head turned round to face Hawkins.

"I never said I didn't want anything in exchange."

"Yep, you have to come up with something equivalent as a reward, Robin." Drake consequently nodded.

"The service must be irreproachable." His blond friend tagged on.

"You may have to dress up in a costume…"

"… Or maybe even dye your hair…"

"_Fufufu_, stop it!"

The three laughed it off and talked a little more as they went down the central stairs. The very moment they reached the hall. Hawkins was called from afar by a girl with pink hair in ponytails. Hawkins then wave them goodbye and took off towards the mysterious girl.

"Who is she?" Robin asked her red-haired friend.

"Perona, his long-time girlfriend."

"Oh…"

He then revealed "She settled down not that long ago. She's quite whiny but she's cool."

"It's surprising, somehow." the raven-haired girl blurted.

"Oh? Why that?" Drake asked back in a teasing tone.

"He's shy, isn't he? I'm 100% sure about that." she said as she pushed the doors of the entrance.

"It'd be a surprise to see you with a boyfriend too."

"It's not like you've been in a stable relationship, right?!" she shot back in a taunting tone.

"Of course, Robin. I have!" he sneered.

"Ah, that's true." she said in a lower tone, pensive. She vaguely remembered two girls she had seen hanging with him back in the days.

Drake could see that she was a little embarrassed by the perplexed frown and the pursed lips she wore on her face.

"It's fine, Robin. You're opening yourself to more people now. Hopefully, it'll come", he eventually said. "It's not like you're in a hurry, hm?"

"I don't know yet." she sighed then purred "I want to know what it feels like. I'm curious, after all."

"I understand. That's human if I may say so." he joked, trying to reassure her.

"I want to taste that kind of life as well."

_"__**Taste**__ that kind of life?! Say what."_ Drake violently turned his head in the opposite direction. He had trouble suppressing his surprise in the least audible gulp possible. It was too risky, too tempting and too soon. He nervously waited for her to keep on or change the subject. When he checked back on her, he felt relieved to see that she seemed to have lost herself in her thoughts. It was certainly better to let things be that way for the moment.

"Do you want a ride to your new place?" Drake teased.

"_Fufufu_, nice try but I don't need a one-minute ride to my place." she retorted.

"Then what about a twenty-minute long one to my place, Robin?"

"_Fufufu_, stop it. I'm going to the library, anyway."

"Ah? Why did you come that far with me then? Isn't it crowded usually at that time?" he asked, out of curiosity and out of worry too, which Robin did not fail to notice.

"Ah, right. It is. Let's say that I enjoyed the company as usual." Her features had slightly softened and gave way to her usual tender smile.

"If you say so. But I'm not going to drag you around any further." he then joked "Don't forget! If you ever change your mind, you know which number to ring! Bye, Robin."

"Hm, bye." Robin turned her back and proceeded to head towards the library, a little morose.

* * *

The white clock in the library read five thirty five, which meant that he had been looking for that damn book for at least twenty minutes. Fortunately for him, when he got out of the musicology section, the librarian handed him the treasured publication on breathing training, with a harsh judging look.

He sighed both in victory and defeat. He had it in his hands but now it meant he had to read it. It clearly pissed him off to have to study all this for bits of credits and a plane ticket.

Then he saw her. That damn woman, sitting at one table reading so casually when she had perturbed his mind for too much time. If he was only fantasizing about her from time to time, he would have never made such a fuss about it. But it was not the case.

His hard training and sessions of meditations did not help dismiss popping thoughts about her. He could be thankful to her, in a way. The more he tried to forget her, the more he went harder on himself. He also tried to switch his sex drive onto someone else, by hooking up with a random chick in some random bar. However, the level of excitement he felt when things got physical did not even near the sparkle Robin ignited within him whenever she laid an eye on him. Yes, it was hard to admit it but he was clinging on her and that fondness surpassed the natural phenomenon of desirous attraction. She tranquilized him but he felt obliged to remain alerted. He felt at her mercy yet she was to be claimed as his, and his only.

After having unsuccessfully tried to sort out all these feelings, he concluded that he might as well get things straight with her and with himself, once for all. With his best pick up line in mind, he arranged himself one last time and walked with a determined step towards her. _"Just ask her to go on a 'date' and see what you'll be getting."_

He sat at her table, right next to her, and he could not help it. She was holding a thick book in her hands, something about resources and Alabasta. On the side he was, he could stare at her azure eye trailing the lines of words. Her silky complexion had a light tint of red, on her cheeks, hinting that she had been there for quite a while. She was not smiling this time, she even seemed stiff. His free eye slowly wandered lower. She was wearing a large blue turtleneck that seemed to go below her hips but before his sight could descend any further, she interrupted his little own adventure :

"Good afternoon, Zoro." She did not even glance at him. The tone in her voice confirmed that she was indeed not in the best mood.

"Back from the dead, huh?"

It was probably not the best joke nor the right time to make a joke and one could tell it by the way she briefly eyed him after his intervention.

Robin went back to her reading. "I haven't gone anywhere."

"All the more reason." he began, "See, the witch that I could barely stand is more fun and open-minded than you."

"Then excuse me for disturbing you because of my absence but, yes, I have been busy."

"Busy with what, woman? Reading?"

"Yes, reading. I have a name and you could have called me if you needed anything, if it really was the case. Law had the decency to do so."

"Tch! You still need to make up for it."

"Pardon me?" Robin asked, baffled.

"You need to make up for it." he repeated "What about a casual conversation, right here, right now. We haven't really had one yet."

"If you haven't noticed it yet, we're in a library."

"I don't care."

She lowered her book, pretty irritated and she looked at him in the eye. She already knew he was being sly but fronting his smirking face made her realize that this guy was determined. He would not let her be in peace until he got what he wanted. She resigned herself to his idea. The sooner she got done with it, the sooner she could go back to the only activity that helped her relax her mind.

"Fine, go ahead." she sighed.

"How do you do?" Zoro asked.

"I've been worse and you?"

"I'm fine. Do you have a boyfriend?" His plan was finally set, everything was almost in place, the countdown was launched.

"…" Robin frowned and remained silent for a few seconds. "This is what you call a casual conversation?" she concluded while closing her book.

"I think it is."

"No, I don't." she eventually answered his question. She heard a clink as he was seating himself in a more comfortable and relaxed position. "Why do you keep carrying those swords here? That's dangerous." Robin scolded.

Zoro got a little disappointed that she changed the topic of the conversation. "You're the only one here bugging me about them." he then teased as he unsheathed a black blade "You want to see them that much?"

With an annoyed and louder tone, Robin fired at him "Are you making a phallic reference right now?"

Several heads turned to them, much to Zoro's embarrassment. He sheathed his sword back. Right after, Robin sighed. This foolishness had to stop.

"Okay. Zoro, what's on your mind?"

What was on his mind? Pretty much the _touché_ question.

There was no way he could get the 'And you, do you have a girlfriend?' question then direct her his star pick up line. Hell, he did not even want to hear it anymore. He felt the urge to spit everything with honesty, right now, in front of her. His face was contorted with confusion but he eventually managed to collect himself. It would probably better to get things straight, once for all, and fair and square.

He gazed at her with an uncertain eye but she called his name again.

"Something is boggling me." he finally answered.

"How is it boggling you?" Robin calmly asked, this time.

"It's just boggling me." he spat.

"Right. And who or what is boggling your mind?"

"…"

"You've asked me if I had a boyfriend, haven't you?"

"Right."

"So?"

"Someone."

His answer piqued her curiosity. Since this afternoon, she had felt an odd interest in sentimental subjects. She turned round to face him a little better and rested her face on her palm, elbow placed on the table.

He was not smirking anymore. She found the confused look she had enjoyed on their first encounter. She noticed he was a little unsettled by the turn of events. Even though he was practically laying on his chair, arms crossed on his torso, he looked tense, his breathing seemed heavy and he looked concerned. Despite his rough attitude, she firmly believed it to be the shell of an emotive heart. This man might have been able to give insights on intense feelings she had never heard of, she thought. She felt compelled to enquire more

"Is it a she or a he?"

"A she."

"Do you love her?"

"I appreciate her." he corrected.

"To what extent?"

Zoro frowned. "This is not a casual conversation. You're just asking questions."

"_Fufufu_, I know and you don't really help either for the moment." she uttered, amused.

"Hmpf." he grunted. Her eyes were demanding and obliged him to continue. "Tch! I can't tell yet if I'm delusional or not right now."

"Then wh-" Robin started to say.

"It's like an instinct that manages to battle your strongest resolve." he cut her off. "You're there tricking yourself you are one worth to awake undisclosed desires for that person. You believe you can cherish that person until she can say no more."

Robin stared at his face with a bulging eye. She was shocked. She did certainly not expect this and she was the least prepared for what was coming next.

"Have you ever felt these feelings? You just want to share another reality. No matter where these feelings may lead you, you're willing to drift for that person's sake, you just feel like it's worth the bet. And you're just there, waiting for a miracle to solve your puzzle." He then sighed. "But time's up for me, now."

"I…" She could not even process her own thoughts. She felt the blood pumping vehemently up her chest. Her ears were burning, her cheeks were burning. She even sensed an ounce of dizziness before his intimidating stance. Her eye was wavering around his, failing at focusing on its target.

Zoro grunted as he started to get up. He then got closer to her ear.

"Robin, I'm not willing to hide anything any longer. This is what I feel and you can take it as you please. Take your time, I can wait." he eventually whispered and left with one last brief glance over her.

She had asked for it and there it was, handed by a man she was surely intrigued by. Robin was more than flustered. She was red from head to toe, stunned on her seat. Her heart was beating too wildly, it thundered within her body. She curled up, placing both hands on her chest in a desperate attempt to calm herself. She could feel herself shaking, she was almost panting loudly.

_"What time is it?"_ she asked herself to divert her own attention. She checked her watch. Yes, it was late or she would rather deem it was late. She hurriedly got up, took her book and bag then left for her place.

* * *

Merely five minutes had passed since it was eight and the doorbell rang. When she opened the door, Nami fell on her and she could have noticed that Kaya and a blue-haired pretty girl, Vivi, were standing just behind her, smiling. Unfortunately, Makino could not make it because of an important affair. The house-warming party could officially begin.

The raven-haired young woman guided them throughout her flat, her own sweet home. Robin, as well as her friends, found it cute and welcoming. For Robin, it was just the way she had imagined it.

A few days prior to the party, Maria and Ernest had helped her buy the necessary furniture and they helped her move in. She cheerfully had insisted on arranging the most possible on her own. Her apartment had a pretty large living room, an open-plan kitchen, one bedroom and a bathroom. There was no balcony but the very wide windows overlooked the outskirts of Orange Town. It was very near to the university. In fact, it only took her five minutes to reach the campus.

After hearing her friends' feedback, the four girls had changed in more comfy outfits and they sat on the four _futon_ Robin had placed in the center of the living room, for the occasion. They chit chatted for hours while snacking on mini club sandwiches and drinking beers or wine.

Nami somehow had noticed that their host was very absent-minded for once. She thus persuaded her to drink, drink and drink again. The party was going pretty well and they eventually started to give in drunkenness, except for Nami who seemed to maintain an upper hand. Eventually, the topic turned to stop on boys.

"So, Vivi. How are things going with Kohza?" Nami asked her friend.

"Hmpf!" Vivi, who was munching on her snack, just lifted her two thumbs up, to which the three other young women laughed. When she finally managed to gulp it all down, she stated "Things are fine and he's being as romantic as ever."

"That's cuuute~" Nami joked. "And you Kaya?"

"With your brave warrior, Usopp." Robin joined the red-haired one. "I acknowledge that you two have been very discreet about it, though."

"Ah?" Vivi gasped.

Nami started to spill details "You see, our Miss Kaya is having an affair with one of our acquaintances. She thought we, like, didn't know anything about it but girl was wrong."

"It started four days after our first day at university, if I remember correctly." Robin said with her hand on her chin.

"You noted all that?!" Kaya blurted, almost spitting her wine.

"Haha!" Nami and Vivi pointed out to her, they started singing together to tease her, "Usopp and Kaya, sitting in a tree, they're K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

Kaya strongly blushed then laughed it off "Stop with this childish nonsense! Nami, aren't you the biggest flirt? When was the last time you went out with someone?" she tried to shift the attention onto her friend.

"_Fufufu_, she is. But I understand her, as long as she gets what she wants" Robin purred.

"Exactly!" Nami asserted while flipping her hair. "Anyhow, I don't see anyone worth my time and affection at this moment."

"And you, Robin?" Vivi turned round to ask the raven-haired lady next to her.

"I have no one." she shyly said, her eye briefly lowering its trajectory.

"Really?!" Both Kaya and Vivi were surprised while Nami just sipped at her beer.

"I mean, at first glance, you look like that one girl who would turn any guy senseless, in bed or whatever." Vivi maundered, to which Kaya nodded with her eyes wide open.

"Right?!" Nami almost yelled. "But our dear Robin has not experienced love yet." she said while rolling her eyes and clasping her hands. "Which was pretty much Hancock's fault. Right, my baby Robin~?!" She was now hugging her black-haired friend - more like clinging onto her - while showering her head with small kisses.

"_Fufufu_, Nami!"

"And do you have someone on your mind?" Kaya asked, genuinely curious. Nami stopped and went behind Robin, her lips were silently articulating Drake's name, much to Kaya's and Vivi's enjoyment.

"Well, hm…" Robin sighed.

"Drake, Drake, Drake, Drake!" Nami exaggeratedly muttered. Robin tried to stop her friend by tickling her but Nami remained persistent.

"Who's Drake?" Vivi asked.

"Oh… True, you don't know him." Nami stood up "He's a quite tall guy, piercing blue eyes. He has bright red hair, brigther than mine and pretty long for a guy. He has a X-shaped scar on his chin" she revealed while marking her own chin, she then continued "He's well built (she insisted on the 'well' part) and your typical Nordic charming guy. He looks pretty fierce, in my opinion." Kaya nodded to her last assertion "And he also looks like he could make you the best screamer in the world." she then teased.

Robin blushed really hard but retorted as she slapped her thigh "I do not want to feel that way about him, Nami!"

"Oh, both of you missed the moment when he taught her how to play pool!" she exclaimed, ignoring her friend's plea. She started mimicking the way Drake had showed her how to hold her cue stick, to which Vivi and Kaya squealed.

"And did he bend over her when she pulled her shot?" Kaya enquired.

"No!" Robin was still blushing.

"Unfortunately, no, much to my disappointment." Nami said as she sat down. "I'm still rooting for them in any case."

"You're losing your time and energy over this, Nami. I respect and owe him a lot."

"Yeah, yeah, okay. But you do look like you're not totally here, right now. What's on your mind? Or better yet, who?!" Nami asked in an amused tone.

Robin just sipped nervously at her wine.

"Who is it?" Nami demanded, before being joined by Vivi. "Do we know him?" she then asked.

As she recalled the previous events of the very day, Robin got even more embarrassed and even if she had tried her best to get her poker face back in place, she would have still betrayed herself with her strangely enough stiff stance. She would not be able to hide anything.

"We know him!" she screamed "Okay, let's see…" Nami prepared herself to list all the boys they both knew "We have Drake, Hawkins, Usopp, Franky, Paulie, Zoro, Lulu, L-"

"Oh?! Nami, she reacted!" Vivi exclaimed as she saw Robin's left eyebrow twitch uncontrollably.

"Is that…" The red-haired girl thought it over "ZORO?! Of all people, Robin!" Nami scolded.

"The green-haired one you were complaining about?" Kaya asked.

Vivi smiled "Probably. Nami told me about that surprise event from two weeks ago. She's still really harsh on him, after all this time." she purred.

"What?! Vivi! Do you have a poor memory as well?!"

"No, but he did treat me well." Vivi told her, thinking it could calm her down.

"Zoro…" Robin began, catching the three other ladies' attention, who all turned their heads when she spoke "made a proposition to me this afternoon."

After she summed up the library scene to them, she glanced successively at her three friends who were all in a big awe.

"Wow." Kaya said with a slight blush on the cheeks.

Vivi just squealed.

Nami had a small grin but she preferred to voice her skepticism "That's still a little suspicious to me."

"When I think of it, he's not really a jerk around me, except when he calls me 'woman'" Robin noted.

"He could get it anytime, regardless of that." Vivi spat. "And by the way you put it, it seems he's in a submissive position, for once."

"What do you plan to do, Robin?" Kaya excitedly enquired.

"I don't really know yet."

"Leave him to stew for a while." Nami promptly said.

"I firstly thought of that, since I'm quite excited to see what he'll come up with next." Robin revealed with a glow in her left eye and a sly grin.

Her three friends were now smirking at her.

"She's got it." Vivi began.

"Look at that perverse smile." Nami continued "You're definitely going to drive him insane."

"Robin, you have that instinct." Kaya then said.

The short-haired woman rolled her eyes but eventually chuckled at her friends' remarks.

"Still! If he does anything wrong, I'll be the first one to burst his ass!" Nami exclaimed.

"Good." Robin tenderly smiled to her.

The conversation lasted a little while longer before they progressively fell asleep. Robin stayed awake just a bit more, thinking about this strange challenge, over and over. Her heart rate had calmed down since then but the excitement was still there.

She did not want to spoil herself with stupid scenarios, as long as he would offer her the same jolting thrills he had given her that very afternoon. She drifted to sleep with a pleasured smile and a little crimson shade adorning her cheeks.


	8. A Physical Thing

**Disclaimer : **Featured characters and One Piece belong to Eiichiro Oda.

**A/N : **Hello, hello. First, I have a question. Hm, hm. Would you mind if there were rating changes in the future, for possible graphic scenes to put it simply °_° Hm, would you? Would you? I plan to do double updates for people that want to read T-rated contents anyway. Please, let me know.

To exorcist : I really try my best not to make them OOC but it's hard for some characters in that context. Also, I don't want to deceive or disappoint ZoRobin fans, especially since they want their pairing to look triumphant and fabulous at the end of the day. And the focus on Drake and Robin's friendship is really important I think. There's not much bad drama now but it will come relatively soon. I appreciate your concern T_T

I also had the pleasant surprise to see my story being linked to in the x drake tag on tumblr! Thank you lu-lu-la-la-luffy and dickybird-monet !

To the anon guest : Okay, okay, let's go! Then, chapter 8, clap start…!

Thank you very mucho! Ah, I really need a Beta reader, snif. Please *lifts her pom-poms*, R-E-V-I-E-W P-L-E-A-S-E! (And drop some suggestions as well °°).

Real clap start!

**Chapter 8 :** A Physical Thing

* * *

The following week, the idea of arranging a meetup had 'magically' occurred to Nami. She had also thought it would be 'fun' to bring Law and Zoro.

The setting that had retained her attention was a 'cute but fancy' Italian restaurant near the campus. She had also made sure that accomplices, Kaya and Vivi, could free themselves for the lunch break.

The three girls had arrived there at an earlier time in order to revise the setup of their cunning mission : 'Make Zoro Spit It'. They had obviously communicated different times to the invitees so the seating could be arranged to their taste.

Everything was planned out thoughtfully. Vivi would be at Zoro's right side while Robin would have to sit at his left side. Because of their closed eyes, the two would have no other choice but face each other entirely to converse better, as Nami had pointed out. At the opposite side of them, Kaya and Nami would observe the scene and pull up the strings to lead Zoro to ask her out.

What went against their plans - as they had considered it to be impossible - was that Law and Zoro actually had friends. The concerned parties and two other freshmen, Shachi and Penguin, miraculously arrived on time. Shachi and Penguin were far from being as troublesome as their other two friends; they were rather nice and funny. As for Robin, she arrived 'fashionably late' as they had intended it to be.

In the end, their raven-haired friend ended up seated next to Law, at the very end and at the wrong side of the table since Shachi had taken her reserved spot. The three girls did certainly not expect the other surprises that were coming up next.

Much to their dismay, Shachi, Penguin, Robin and Law started talking about the latest horror movie releases as soon as they casually started eating their pasta. Penguin regretted the bad suspense in one movie. Shachi criticized the rendering of special effects in another one. Robin lashed out the mediocre quality of the current trending scenarios and Law tried to prove the impossibility of many stunts in a medical perspective.

Robin's friends had already lost their appetite because of their bizarre conversation and Zoro's table manners - or lack of, more exactly - did not help at all. He was gulping down his pizza without showing any sense of annoyance regarding the disturbing discussion happening right next to him.

That was what troubled the three partners in crime the most. Not a single glance, not a single word had been addressed to Robin since she had come. He was calm, eating like a pig, but he was calm. Vivi and Kaya tried to make him talk, enquiring about what he had been up to or what he was fond of. Zoro politely but shortly answered their questions and went back to eating right after.

This uninterested behavior of his made the three girls doubt about his would-be declaration from the previous week, especially after he drank his beer mug in one go and let out a content and barbarian sigh. Minutes had passed and time was limited. While Vivi tried once again to have a decent conversation with him, Nami and Kaya started sharing their skepticism :

"Do you think Robin imagined all of this up?" Kaya whispered.

"I can't tell… Since she's definitely not the creepy fangirl type." Nami responded, still whispering.

"But, look, it's so weird, isn't it? He's not even smiling."

"Maybe it's time to resort to the forceful Plan B." Nami said, rehearsing the sassy remarks she had prepared to trap the two in her head.

But before she could have her breaking moment, the three girls got what they had waited for. Zoro had suddenly sat up in a more strained and firm position, arms rigidly crossed over his torso. He was fixing his black-haired flatmate and the girl of his obsessional dreams with an insistent look.

And for a good reason, Robin was now holding Law's left hand in hers, asking him about his tattoos and the lack of some on the fingers of his other hand. As Law was naturally answering her questions, Shachi and Penguin sometimes inserted a few remarks about him being cool and unique. Zoro could see she was genuinely interested in his story, that was not what perturbed him in the first place. The way her hands gently held his, the way she smiled while she listened to him or inspected the designs on the back of his hand, the way she giggled and arched an eyebrow when the said story became blatantly too romantic. Zoro was silently craving for the attention she had 'fallaciously' diverted towards his own friend.

It was Kaya who noticed the change of behavior first and she almost immediately elbowed her red-haired friend to let her know about it. Very quickly, the transmission got to Vivi and the three friends were taking great delight in witnessing the brute's softer side for their dear raven-haired friend.

Robin finally let go of Law's hand and Zoro's daunting eye let go of them, setting itself in the empty beer mug… and the tapping fingers he could see through it? He quickly lifted his gaze to find a cunningly grinning Nami. At least, Kaya and Vivi were being 'adults' around him but that witch… And she certainly was not the type to scare off easily. By the look she sported in her eyes, he thought he knew what she was thinking of. He had expected Robin to spill the details to her friends. Or maybe she just wanted to piss him off.

In any case, he decided to end the conversation before it even happened :

"No." Zoro uttered in his deepest voice.

"Nice try, but you should know better, you mosshead." Nami fired back.

"What's going on?" Law had turned round to watch the two engaged in a battle of defiant stares.

"Nothing! Now that I've got all your attention, let's go! To the MechaClub! Don't forget to pay the tab." The young woman proposed. Robin discreetly took her phone out and typed a message to Drake.

_[Robin to Drake : Hi. Where are you?]_

"Zoro." Law demanded.

"What?! Why would I?!" Zoro snapped.

_[Drake to Robin : At the Mechaclub, why?]_

"You've insisted." The black-haired guy stated.

_[Robin to Drake : As expected! We're coming over~]_

_[Drake to Robin : With Kaya and Nami?]_

_[Robin to Drake : Yes, and a few friends, as well :)]_

_[Drake to Robin : Roger]_

* * *

The group departed to the infamous spot, Nami guiding the rest, the boys staying a little more behind. The trip to the campus gave the three girls the occasion to make a very detailed report on Zoro's behaviour during the lunch, just before Vivi had to head off to her office. Robin still got surprised and amused to learn about their diligent efforts to set them up like this.

With the promise that she would prompt him to make another move, Robin left her friends to come to Zoro right before he crossed the big door of the MechaClub's base. The two stood just in front of the doorstep and were looking at one another in the eye.

"Are you ok?"

"…Totally." Of course, Zoro would answer her question. He felt a lump in his throat at the very moment the aquamarine of her eye gazed back at him.

"You look grumpy." she insinuated.

"Not at all."

"If you say so. As for your proposition, I may accept…" Robin started to say.

Zoro's eye opened wider and his lips parted due to the surprise.

"But it doesn't mean I'll have to let time decide for me."

"What do you mean?" Zoro faked to ask, he clearly saw where this was going. He had already played this game too many times.

"Let me be more explicit..."

Robin dared to come dangerously closer to him. She might not even have been able to explain how naturally sensual she could get yet, there she was, her body almost pressed against his but safely distanced thanks to a forearm she strategically placed on his chest.

"I want you to win me over, Zoro." she eventually murmured to his ear.

It was not the green light he had yearned for. It was a green light nevertheless. The boundaries of the casual conversation that did not lead to anything but trivialities were pushed to outright flirting at anytime he wanted to. That was what he believed though.

He cockily pushed the quite massive door behind her with his left arm. The two guards gasped and bulged their eyes through their sunglasses when they witnessed he could hold the door without their help. Robin and Zoro did not care at all, they were in their own little word.

"Then I will…" Zoro sighed, slightly inclining his head to let his breath softly brush against her neck.

Her heart skipped a beat and a blush appeared on her cheeks but Robin maintained her posture, determined to not dismiss her other condition :

"And I also want you to be more delicate and really romantic."

_"Shit. Not this, not again." _If there was one thing Zoro tried to avoid at all costs or saved as a last resort, it was the stupid 'love-cook's romantic thingy'. He could be romantic from time to time, when he had to. He was surely not used to it though. He described his affection as raw and something that had to be accepted the way it was, which clearly had unsettled some of his exes and one-night stands. But in this current case, he was not in the position to bark this at the lovely Robin.

Not oblivious to his disappointed face, Robin joked "_Fufufu_, try at least."

* * *

When they finally passed the door, Makino cheerfully welcomed them but they were also called over by Drake, who was waiting for them at the big billiards table. Drake was looking forward to meet the few friends Robin had mentioned in her text message. When he saw the first three young men enter the room, he could not help but crack a smile, thinking about how they indeed could get along with Robin and maybe Hawkins.

However, when his gaze fell upon Robin and the green-haired guy that was just behind her, his features contorted with defiance. He could see that both of them were exchanging a few simple words. He could also see an unusual coquettish smile on Robin's face while the swordsman followed her really close, a slight confident grin on his face.

Franky, who was next to Drake, noticed the change in the red-haired friend's attitude that had now become silent, focused and somehow menacing. X Drake's eyes had unconsciously stalked the two approaching figures until Nami called him back to reality.

"Hello, Drake, Franky!"

"Hey, Nami." Drake idly greeted.

"Yo, sis." Franky said, as he shifted his glance onto Nami and put back his sunglasses on.

Nami grunted when she heard that nickname again but moved on to introduce their companions of the day : "So here's Law, Shachi and Penguin. They're attending science courses here."

Franky and Drake both nodded and shook their hands successively. The red-haired one still succinctly checked on the raven-haired lady with furtive glances. At last, she caught his eye and fondly smiled at him.

"And… Where is he?!" Nami finally spotted Zoro and pulled him by the arm "Jeez, don't be an ass and come over here!" she exclaimed then continued "Here's the mosshead."

"My name is ZORO!" The green-haired man barked.

"Whatever, say hi." Her grasp around his arm tightened.

"The hell, you're not my mom!"

"Say it!" She ordered in a pretty loud voice which caused an awkward silence in the entire room.

"Right! Nice to meet you." Zoro greeted, glaring at the now satisfied red-haired young woman.

"Hm." Drake just uttered as he shook his hand.

"Ow! All right! You're all welcome here!" Franky shouted. "Oi, Robin! How are you doing?" He then asked the young woman that had come up to him.

"_Fufufu_, fine." she answered, still appreciating his antics. "I'm not your super lady, today?"

"Now, now, Robin."

"Don't worry, I'm just kidding." she could sense he refrained from joking with her as he was used to doing. "Where is our Bravest Warrior?"

"Over there with Bakaburg." Franky motioned towards a table where Usopp, Hawkins and a purple-haired man were playing cards.

"I see." Robin then went to the sulky male friend on his right, to whom she tenderly smiled and called his name "Drake?"

"Robin?" It already had its effects. His face softened, making way to a relieved smile.

"It seems you've found your new favorite occupation, here."

"I have balls to hit, people to beat, everything is fine and fun."

"_Fufufu_, that sounded rash."

"You'll never know." he scoffed.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she scolded, lightly kicking his arm with a knuckle.

"You'll never know." he teased again and laughed.

Not that far away from them, the green-haired guy felt this surge of jealousy hit him again. In fact, his eyes had not taken off Robin since the very moment she left his company. He did not really mind Law nor the tall 'goofy dude' but he could feel things were different with the 'bastard' she was talking with.

"Anyone up for a game? There's almost fifteen minutes left before the next class" X Drake suggested, raising his cue stick in the air.

"I'll give it a go." Zoro stepped forward and took the stick Franky was handing over.

As much as they were interested to see two manly handsome men put against each other in a pool game, Kaya, Nami and Makino were definitely not up for the possible beef and the sarcastic barbs that usually came along with it. The three women went to sit at a table near the entrance and the two freshmen briefed Makino about Robin's newfound 'attraction interest'.

Speaking of Robin, she stayed, near Drake but opposite Zoro. She wanted to watch how the game would go, how Drake would play when he was serious and how Zoro behaved in the face of a competitor.

After Zoro broke, the raven-haired lady did not lose a single detail of his moves and attitude. In his stance, Robin found recklessness and intimidation. The shots he pulled reflected his raw strength and hinted at the fervor he could sometimes display. He was not losing either. Whenever a ball fell in a pocket, he proudly went to examine the remaining possibilities with his not-that-expert eye and he got ready to kick another object ball on another side of the table.

"Robin, you seem distracted." Drake noted as he turned to face his daydreaming friend. Robin just looked blankly at her taller friend and lightly pursed her lips.

And at that very moment, Zoro failed to correctly hit a ball.

"Your turn." he growled.

"All right." Drake accepted. He got up and neared the table to kick a first ball into a pocket.

"Robin! Let's get going!" Nami recommended from afar. It was five to two in the afternoon and they would have to reach the third floor for their Management in International Organizations class.

"Are you…?" Robin began.

"I don't think so." Drake smiled, followed by a nodding Zoro.

"See you, then." she purred.

"Wait, Robin. We are going as well." Law announced as he, Shachi and Penguin went after her.

Zoro and Drake were the only two left at the big billiards table. The ground floor of the MechaClub's base was almost deserted. Only a few figures were sat at the bar or at some other game tables.

"You won't be able to take the lead again for a good while." Drake taunted as he shot another ball in a pocket.

"Don't crow over a victory so soon." Zoro growled back, an annoyed look on his face.

"If you say so."

After five other shots, the game was over and Drake had won.

"Sorry, I don't plan to go for a return match today."

"I don't need one." the green-haired guy spat.

"What about her?"

His previous frown was replaced by an offended and questioning look. "Who?"

"Don't play dumb with me." Drake had put his cue stick aside and was now approaching Zoro. The growing tension and aggressiveness were palpable.

"Who the hell are you anyway?" Zoro crossed his arms and remained at his spot.

"A friend of hers. Just don't mess around." Drake was now towering over his rival.

"You're pathetic." Zoro snapped.

"Look, Robin is not your average girl to screw for fun around here. You fuck things up with her and I'll be the first to teach you a lesson."

"Heh, I'll be more than ready for it."

"It'll make things easier then." Drake concluded as he left for his bag at the bar.

"Robin is no longer a damn child. Let her do whatever the fuck she wants." Zoro eventually ranted.

"I can tell she's no longer a child, I was warning you." Drake said as he glanced back one last time at him.

"All right, kids! It's two! Get lost! It's time to go!" Franky screamed from the stage, flailing his arms towards the exit.

Zoro glared at Drake then left the club, waving at Franky and thanking him for the fun.

Franky got down the stage and caught up to Drake.

"Well, well, well. Guess when it comes to your super girl, you sure get rough."

"…" Drake's gaze was intense but perturbed. He remained silent before responding his friend's remarks.

"Relax yourself, I'm just saying. I've noticed the super special care you had towards her. Got my respect."

"…"

"And she's not insensitive to it at all."

Drake tilted his head to face him.

"She really looks at peace when you're around. She's got that liking towards you, Drake."

Drake only sighed in response.

"I would ask her out if I were you. She's fun and a freaking big tease. Her friends are cute but she's on another level, I can tell." Franky smirked.

"I don't want her to be mistaken about it." Drake calmly revealed.

"There's nothing wrong with having this kind of feelings, you know. You two must have shared a lot but she'll understand. If things go sour, she'll probably forgive you."

"Yeah, probably."

"Haha, you can call me big bro for that!" Franky proudly exclaimed, oblivious to Drake's previous sarcastic remark.

"Haha, no."

"I've tried. Always nice to have you around anyway. Come anytime, Drake."

"Thanks for everything. Bye, Franky."

* * *

When Drake entered their classroom and tried to excuse himself, his charms did not work as well on Brandnew as they used to on Professor Tsuru.

With an unpleasant and mocking scolding, he was sent off to take his seat next to Robin's. He shrugged it off and she gently stroke his arm to reassure him, telling him he only had missed the roll call.

"And the game?" Robin asked.

"I won. An easy feat." he confidently stated.

"_Fufufu_, good for you." she chuckled then continued "I was thinking we could meet up over the weekend for our group assignment, what do you think of it?"

"Oh, right. We have to discuss the few topics we've picked so far."

"Hm." Robin nodded, lowering her voice as their conversation seemed to have caught their teacher's attention "What about 6:30 at my place on Saturday?" she suddenly proposed.

Drake jerked his head towards her out of surprise. She did not even let him time to ponder about another arrangement. And she seldom took the initiative to lead any activity they had together.

"O-okay" he stuttered "Are you sure I'm allowed to enter your sacred crib after all?"

"_Fufufu_, you can even stay over for dinner too."

"Wait, are you cooking? Didn't you burn microwave popcorn once?" he teased.

She bulged her left eye and sighed as she hit him on the same arm she had stroked.

"I don't plan to poison you. At worst, lumps of my badly cooked food will get stuck in your throat, block it or even pierce it. You never know where those cracks of eggshells are." she mused.

"I'm looking forward to it." he uneasily smiled, now hesitating.

"Then that's a yes?" she cheerfully suggested.

"Yes, that's a yes, Robin." he chuckled.

"BE QUIET OVER THERE!" Brandnew shouted from the other side of the room.

* * *

On the next Saturday, Robin finally welcomed Drake in her home for their scheduled brainstorming session. He also had managed to let him treat her for dinner.

As soon as he arrived at Robin's place, she urged him to get comfortable so they could get themselves into it as soon as possible. She was simply dressed in a white top and pale pink shorts while he wore a navy hoodie and a pair of black jeans. After a heated debate on which topic to choose and why, the two settled on the period of transition that followed the rediscovery of the void century. They still needed to fix the title and arranged their own little program until the date of the presentation.

Robin unexpectedly said it could wait and wanted to eat dinner to conclude the evening.

Drake went to get the salads and peach soda he had previously bought and disposed them over her little table. Robin went in the kitchen to get the cutlery, the kitchen paper and a few sauces. And there they were, sitting on her couch while eating and conversing casually about their project but also about his part-time job.

After a while, Robin suddenly got up and excused herself to go look for something she had forgot in the kitchen. Her head disappeared below the counters and he could have heard her open the fridge and a few other cupboards.

After a few minutes passed, Drake started to worry and asked her :

"Robin, what are you doing? Do you need any help?"

"No, no. I'm fine. I'm coming shortly."

No sooner said than done, the short-haired lady appeared again over the counter, holding a plate with a medium homemade chocolate fudge cake on it. It also had a little lit candle over it.

"Surprise." she purred, leaving Drake flabbergasted.

Surprise, indeed. Until this year, Robin knew nothing about Drake's birthday, he had challengingly refused to tell her during the summer. At last, she had learned the date from Usopp's mouth as she had been enjoying tea with him and Kaya after class one day. She had also got to know about the testosterone and beer-filled party that would take place 'very soon' at his house and she would rather leave the details at that.

As a consequence, on the tenth of October, she had come to him with a pocket book titled 'The Perks of Being a Dinosaur' which she had handed him with a victorious grin, much to his surprise. She still wanted to appropriately celebrate his birthday with the traditional cake and wishing moment.

"I hope it's not too corny."

"No, it isn't at all… I don't know what to say, really."

"_Fufufu_, thank you?"

"Yeah, thank you. It's really nice and cute… of you, Robin." the latter adjective slipped.

"I was kidding around. The pleasure is all mine. Thank you, Drake." she revealed as she was done slicing two shares for the both of them. "I forgot something else, I'll be right back."

Robin came back with two cups, one bottle of vodka and one bottle of fresh lemonade.

"To drink a toast to the aging you. I wonder if you've been getting grumpier over the past few years?"

He groaned and fell back on her couch to make her laugh. She let him mix the alcohol and the juice in their glasses.

She raised her cup along with him. "Do you feel you've changed, Drake?"

"Have I? You're actually one of the few who could tell me" he asked back.

She pondered his interrogation for a few instants. "You're still a great, great, great friend with whom I can talk to about everything."

"Everything?" he arched an eyebrow.

"Everything." she almost murmured after finishing her glass.

"Then tell me about how you feel, Robin." he almost pleaded.

She was taken aback by his question since she understood very well what he wanted to hear. But she soon collected herself to answer his request. Her blue eye started to gaze at him, slightly shaking because of a calm bliss.

"I've never been so spoiled in my life." she began, "I have the chance to hang around with amazing people who care about me. Even Maria came back. I feel appreciated and I even crave for more now. How greedy I've become, _fufufu_."

Drake listened to her carefully and did not want to interrupt her musing.

"It has come to the point that I want more affection." She poured herself another glass. "I've thought about it in the past but it never really struck me as being something important. I was trapped in my own insecurities, I wouldn't look anywhere else. But now, it's different." She sipped her vodka.

"How is it different?"

"How did it feel when you got your first date?"

"Oh, if you put it that way then…"

"I still want to know."

"Right. Well, it felt exciting. I felt the 'butterflies in the stomach' like in the movies. I finally thought I could push the boundaries of affection and explore new sensations with someone. Even though I didn't necessarily love the person I was with, the intimacy you share with someone, whether it's sexual, plainly affectionate or else, opens you to new perspectives, I guess?" He giggled at his own thoughts then paused to see her reaction.

She was grasping her glass with both hands "I see…"

"Do you have someone, Robin?" Drake eventually enquired.

She only blushed hard in response, which Drake interpreted as a yes but also let him think alcohol started to take its toll on her.

"Robin, go easy on the vodka." he worriedly advised.

"I'm fine, _fufufu_, just a little tipsy. Nami put me through worse last time." she said back, while serving herself another glass and drinking a mouthful of her cocktail.

"Okay." He was not that convinced. "May I know who he is?"

She chortled and shrugged "I don't even know! And you?"

He sighed, lowered his gaze and looked at the bottom of his glass.

"I didn't want to upset you, I'm sorry." Robin uttered, while her thumb caressed his chin in a circular motion and the other misplaced fingers ran across his neck. Drake's eyes widened and he stared back at her. She was lounging and rested her head on the sofa, she could not sit up anymore. She had an almost silly smile plastered all over her face and obviously her perception of distances was messed up.

"Robin, I'm losing you. You're drunk." he reproached.

"Did I really say something bad?" She tried to sit tight but she reeled a little bit.

"It's fine, Robin. I'm a little tired." he lied. "I should go back home, it's getting late anyway." he then claimed as he got up and cleared the table.

"If you're not feeling well, you should stay over. Wait, I'll bring the _futon_." she dashed to her bedroom to bring two mattresses in the living room. She pushed the table in the direction of the sofa then unfolded the two _futon_ at the center of the room. She grinned at him with satisfaction and assured "I'll get a few blankets" before disappearing again.

Now, what would he do? He was apprehensive. Was it really a good thing to stay over? What would happen if things took another turn over the night? He certainly did not want to risk that for the moment and had decided to let time do the job. But he hardly saw him refuse Robin's hospitality, especially judging by her current mood.

When she came back, blankets tugged under her arms, she was already wearing her sleeping gown and shorts.

"I don't mind if you undress as long as it's done in the bathroom." she bluntly affirmed as she carefully placed the sheets and tugged her hair behind her ear.

"I don't have any choice, do I?" he still asked.

"_Fufufu_, no."

* * *

The two friends lay down next to one another. Robin rested on her tummy, leaning on her elbows and feet juggling in the air. He was on his back, arms placed below his head and eyes set on the ceiling, to prevent any unwanted distraction.

They idly chatted about university again but this time on a very light-hearted note. They joked about the odd things they had seen. Franky apparently topped the prize list of the most eccentric individual at Reverse Mountain University.

After a while, Robin finally got up to switch off the lights and she came back to sleep next to her friend, tugging herself inside a blanket.

"Good night, Drake." She pecked him on the cheek. Drake would forgive and try to forget her slips later. "Thank you for coming once again."

"Good night to you too, Robin."

He watched her doze off pretty quickly, wandering his eyes over every of her features. He really wanted to hold her and return her the affection she was longing for. So much. But time was needed. He considered that Robin was somehow immature and hesitant when it came to this new trial of adulthood. He would never took advantage of this to just hurry her in a fate she might have eventually rejected. But how long was it going to last?


	9. In for the Kill

**Disclaimer : **Featured characters and One Piece belong to Eiichiro Oda.

**A/N : **Aloha.

To the worst creature : *weeping* Thank youuuuu! It worries me sometimes bc I don't want it to be heavy.

Once again, "Smut or no smut?" that is the question I want you to answer, dear readers, in the comments or via PM, whatever floats your boat *glances at her explicit drafts with worry*

Hope you enjoy the new chapter and please review, yes, besos!

**Chapter 9 : **In for the Kill

* * *

Robin stirred when she felt a cold glow shimmer over her closed eyelids. She hummed as she stretched her arms outside the blanket.

After scanning the luminous side of her living room with a lazy eye, she finally stared at the source of her waking. She reached for her ringing cellphone and picked up the line.

"Hello, Robin?"

"Yes, Nami?"

"Am I bothering you right now?"

"Not at all. Did you sleep well?" Robin spun on her other flank just to stare at the empty _futon _that was next to her. She sat up, took off her eye-patch and slowly rubbed her eyes.

"Yeah… Nojiko brought me to a fancy-dress party yesterday and I met a very cute guy there. Hm."

"_Fufufu_, go ahead. I'm listening."

"So, the other day, Nojiko told me about her office throwing a party for…" Nami began.

As her dear friend narrated her latest hooking up, Robin noticed a glass of water on the table and got up to come closer. What she also found was a tablet of aspirin and a little note that read :

"Just in case. I also prepared some coffee. Hope it's not bad. P.S : You'd be a better wine drinker."

A soft smile appeared on her face. The young woman flipped the piece of paper, expecting a kind of surprise on the verso of the note but it was blank. She was still attentively listening to her friend when she got up to serve herself a cup of coffee. Her memories from the previous night were pretty clear and she did not feel unwell at all.

"And do you plan to call him anytime soon?" Robin asked.

"Not really. I mean, it was great but not enough." Nami smiled on the other side of the line when she heard her friend chuckle because of her bold statement. "What are you doing, Robin?"

"I just got up. I'm having coffee."

"At such hour?" Nami blurted. Robin lifted away her phone to check the time and almost gasped, shocked that it was already eleven.

"Oh, my."

Nami laughed. "Robin! What did you do last night?"

"I drank a little."

"Talk about a surprise. What was the occasion?"

Robin facepalmed as she realized how her revelation would probably excite Nami "Drake came ov-"

"How come?!" Nami cut her off, yelling.

"We had to work on our presentation and we also celebrated his birthday, kind of." Robin sighed.

"You celebrated his birthday?" the red-haired girl hummed in that sly tone of hers.

"Hm." Robin nodded.

"Robin, have you ever heard that groovy song?"

"Which one?"

"Never mind! You'd probably scold me for the reference. Anyway, I wanted to invite you over for lunch. We're making a tangerine meringue pie. And now that you have juicy stuff to tell me…!"

"Really, Nami?" Robin tried to ignore the last remark. "I'd gladly come. Just let me take a shower. I'll be there in thirty minutes, at most."

"Perfect, see you later!"

Robin hung up and headed towards the bathroom for a quick shower. As she rinsed the soap that covered her body, she was pensive about the good time she had the previous evening, especially the unharmful bickering over their choice of topic and the discussions they had later that night. It was certainly something to do again in the future.

She dried then carefully massaged herself with body lotion. She chose to dress up in a casual white shirt and a dark red pencil skirt she wore over sheer black tights.

She inspected her apartment one last time, tidied up her living room a little bit and opened her windows to air the space. She picked her eye-patch from the table, arranged it and safely placed it over her right eye. She then put her trench and boots on, closed the door and went outside.

* * *

The sky was grey and misty, blocking the sun from warming the autumnal chilly air. The bus stop was just outside her place and the line directly lead to the Gyonchorda Residence.

Robin arrived on the time she had foreseen.

The woman who opened the door wore a slight tan, red lipstick and had shoulder-length light blue hair. She quickly examined the raven-haired girl's appearance before giving her an excited smirk.

"You must be Robin, come in." the young woman instructed to which Robin politely bowed.

"I'm Nojiko, Nami's sister. She has said a lot about you since university started. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, Nojiko."

At first glance and if it was not for the playful smile, Nojiko seemed to be quite more serene than her sister. One could tell she was just a little bit older, by maybe one or two years. Under her beige tank top, the blue-haired girl had an impressive tattoo that covered her right arm as well as a part of her chest.

Nojiko led Robin to their lounge diner where Nami was sitting at a table, adding the finishing touches to the meringue pie. The two exchanged a few words about the weather and their current moods.

"Nami, Robin has come."

"Ah! Great! Have a seat! I'll be right back." Nami arranged one last time the dessert and took it to the kitchen.

The atmosphere was cosy and more than heart-warming. The room was decorated with pale wood furniture and various kitschy objects such as a cuckoo clock or knitted mats; probably Nojiko's idea. The light and delicious scent of seafood stew filled the air. Nojiko was ironing the laundry not far away from the table.

Nami came back with a few drinks and glasses that she placed on the table and she sat next to Robin.

"Heh, you seem to be in a good mood. How was your evening with your 'friend' Drake?" she asked as she did the gesture of quoting a word.

"Good, thank you." Robin answered with a smile before drinking a bit of water.

"I'm not done yet but before all, you still haven't told me about Zoro."

"Ah?" Robin said back with surprise. "Right, Zoro." she purred.

* * *

Speaking of whom, on this dull Sunday morning, he had been trying to maintain a courteous and serious conversation with his blond-haired friend, Sanji, which was a too hard feat for the both of them.

For this time, Zoro did not want to take Robin to a basic diner restaurant located in the outskirts of the town, nor he wanted to give her a simple bouquet of red roses. He wanted to be sure that she would have no other doubts afterwards, that she would not look at anyone or anywhere else.

Even though, he did not want to go outright flamboyant, he considered extra efforts still had to be made, which led him, reluctantly, to ask his friend for advice.

* * *

_To rewind back in time, Zoro entered the - then deserted - five-star restaurant 'Le Baratie' a little earlier; the service would not start before the evening._

_"I'm here." Zoro pronounced as he stood in the middle of the dining area._

_"I can see, I have eyes and you're late. Did you get lost again, huh?" Sanji scoffed._

_"Oi, I'm not here for your sass."_

_"And I say that if you make a lady wait even merely two minutes you won't go anywhere, you shithead."_

_"Tch! I don't even know why I came. I'm pretty sure you haven't got laid for an eternity."_

_"The hell did you say about me, you shitty marimo?!_

_"You heard me good, stupid love cook!"_

_One of their typical brawl ensued until a raucous voice echoed from the kitchen :_

_"Sanji! If you and the other moss-haired brat are here to destroy some tables and chairs again, I'll make sure to kick your asses to the other end of the city!" The head chef Zeff yelled._

_"Tch! Sit." Sanji ordered._

_"Huh?"_

_"Sit your damn ass on a chair! Are you deaf, is that moss on your head stuck in your ears?" he mocked as he grimaced and pointed his finger to his own ear._

_"Don't boss me around like this or I'll cut the shit out of you!"_

_"Bring it on, punkass!"_

_Zoro unsheated his three swords again and dashed towards his friend who just launched himself in the air to descend a direct and sharp kick from the legs on his head. Zoro dodged then went to block the volley of rolling hits Sanji threw at him._

_"WILL YOU DAMN BRATS STOP?!" Zeff roared._

* * *

As Sanji got his lighter out so he could lit his tenth cigarette since Zoro's arrival, the latter finally and calmly sat and said :

"I really want to pull that one off."

"Why that?" Sanji civilly asked back.

"I… I just have to pull it off!" Zoro barked, awkward.

"Oh~" he hummed in a low voice after he exhaled smoke. He then added "Now you play the tender hearted. Who is the unlucky lady who would have to put up with your shitty antics?"

A vein popped on Zoro's forehead. "You saw her last time."

"Hm? That time I had to cook for the two gorgeous and angelic marvels that graced your unsightly apartment?"

"Yeah."

"What?! It can't be! Which one is it?!" he exclaimed then became ecstatic with his nostrils widening at each second "Is she the pretty goddess with long hair that glows like the sunset?"

"Nami? No way in hell." he sneered, "I'm talking about Robin." Zoro wore a childish grin on his face.

"The raven-haired enchantress with the sapphirine doe eye, argh!" Sanji fell on the floor and repeatedly kicked it with his right first "It can't be. It can't be. It can't be!"

"Get up, I haven't come here to see you mop the floor with your tears."

"You, bastard! You're going to traumatize the lovely _Robin-chwan_ with that shitty brute empty-headed ass of yours!" he cried.

"Then help me about it!" Zoro chided.

"Ugh. I can't believe it." Sanji whined. He breathed out smoke, a little nervously, and forcefully closed his eyes. "Okay, and what do you plan to do?"

* * *

In another part of Orange Town, Nami, Nojiko and Robin were almost done eating lunch, now enjoying their dessert.

As Nami took a spoon of the famous tangerine meringue pie, she turned to face Robin :

"Robin… Frankly speaking, what was that, with Drake?"

Her raven-haired friend looked at her with a bewildered expression, not oblivious to her insinuation, far from that. "As I said, we worked on our presentation, ate his birthday cake and drank a little bit." she still answered.

"And do you think Zoro is going to actually do something soon?"

"I can't tell, I'm not him. Why do you ask this question?"

"I know you're not a maneater but…Robin, aren't you being a little bit risky with Zoro? Don't you think you'll push Drake aside?"

"Explain yourself."

"I know you don't want to mangle your friendship with him but have you ever really considered that something might have happened between the two of you ...? If you two had ever wished so... It still astounds me."

"No, because 'this' doesn't necessarily have to happen between two good friends."

"Come on, Drake is not insensitive nor asexual as far I'm concerned! If you ever starts going out with Zoro, how do you think he'll feel? To be honest with you, if I were him, I'd be pissed, Robin." Nami rebuked.

Robin breathed out a sigh. "Don't speculate about things you pretty much have no idea of."

"Robin, I'm just worried."

"You don't have to." The raven-haired friend replied with a pretty sharp tone.

"Nami," Nojiko intervened "I get why you are concerned but let Robin decide her path. Whether it was a good or a bad choice, she will be the one to say it truly." she continued "I'm sure you wouldn't have appreciated that I ruined your one-night stand for the sole reason that my colleague's brother spoke fluent Spanish, right?"

The two classmates looked at each other and the three women started to laugh their heads off.

"Robin, you should let your hair grow. It would suit you." Nojiko eventually confessed.

"It used to be as long as mine. She cut it over the summer." Nami stated after drinking a little juice.

"Should I?" Robin asked as she gently took a strand of her black hair in her hand.

"You look prettier and gentler with long hair. Your pixie cut makes you look mature somehow, and a little severe too."

"_Fufufu_, Nami." the raven-haired girl whined.

"I'm joking. I really like your long hair."

"It's true that I miss it now." Robin said, pensive.

"Okay, come, Robin. I'll give you a trim to fix it up a little bit. You'll look all gorgeous by the end of the year." Nojiko suggested.

"Thank you, Nojiko."

* * *

"I'm surprised. It actually sounds pretty good, put it like this. But don't forget the flowers! She really looks like she loves them." Sanji genuinely commented.

"What should I go for?"

"You'll figure, but tell me one thing, why did you pick that restaurant?"

"So, I won't have to see your disgusting face on my date."

"Tch! At least it's the only other great one here. I'd have to kick your ass if you ever messed her sweet palate with thrash." Sanji added "I'll pray she survives the whole thing." he then swooned "Aaaah, I'd gladly be the charming prince rescuing her from that living nightmare. My dear _Robin-chwan_~"

"Don't you dare." Zoro grunted.

"You really have a thing for her, don't you?" Sanji taunted. "Usually, you just seek to sleep with someone then go back to train with your damn swords like an obsessed freak. How is the cutie glasses girl doing by the way?"

"Fine, probably."

"Tch! The gentle ladies of this entire universe would be better off with you chasing down males. You're an ass."

"Guess that's life." Zoro shrugged.

Surprisingly, Sanji and Zoro kept discussing the plans for his date over a little while longer until Zeff called the young cook for the preparation of the evening service.

"All right, good luck with her. Treat her more than well, shitty _marimo_."

"Thanks, myself."

"Just get lost already."

* * *

In the middle of the afternoon, Robin was going back home with few grocery bags in her hands. As she strolled down the avenue, she recognized a very familiar figure standing in front of an adjacent dead-end and ruffling his hair with a puzzled look on the face.

"Are you lost?" she enquired in a jesting tone.

He jerked his head towards her and stared at her in disbelief with his right eye wide open.

"Zoro, say something." Robin purred.

He was not expecting her, there, at all, at that very moment. He thought he would ask her out on the following day, in front of the coffee machine for the record. Or maybe he would have done it at the entrance of the campus. Who cares! He felt like he was caught red-handed and his body tensed up.

The fact that she was approaching him in a feline walk did not help him at all. He was lost in her moves and the mysterious smile that now adorned her face.

"_Fufufu_, are you all right?"

"What's so funny?" Zoro grunted.

"You're cute when you behave like this."

Zoro groaned in response.

"What are you doing here?"

"Doing some errands and you?"

"The same." Robin stated as she slightly lifted her grocery bags.

The two then stared at each other in silence for seconds that seemed to flow for an eternity.

He eventually swirled towards her and got closer, lured to her everything.

She was touched by his clumsiness. But what moved her even deeper was the strange sensation that warmed her inside whenever he imposed his eye on hers, the rushing shock that ran through her whole body whenever he got closer and their bodies brushed against the other. She let her vision wander around and somehow under the grey clothing that concealed his appealing figure.

"Robin…" Zoro began, almost sighing at length.

"Hm?" Her eyebrows twitched as she was snapped out of her thoughts.

"Would you go on a date with me, next week?" Zoro said as he kept approaching her.

He stopped at just a forearm of distance. Unconsciously, Zoro brought his right hand to her warm cheek and let it rest there, softly stroking the blush that graced it in a hidden amazement. He was making the most of what he was allowed to do. He might have enjoyed it but he strongly wanted to bring his face closer, go further than this.

In a daze, Robin's lips parted as she looked down to meet his face.

"Yes." she murmured.

"I'll let you know about the details later." he spoke, matching her low tone of voice.

"Understood." she whispered.

"See you around, Robin." he bade her farewell as his hand made its way down to her neck and shoulder before he just dropped it off her. It would be better to leave things like this for the moment.

She nodded and went on her way home. Robin looked back one last time behind her and caught him gazing at her. She faced front and continued walking with a merely discreet smile.

"Zoro _ya_, wasn't that Robin over there?" Law asked as he got out of a coffee shop with two cups.

"Hm, next week, on Saturday." Zoro mumbled and nodded to himself.

"Oookaaay." Law drawled, a little perplexed. "Let's just go home."

* * *

When she arrived home, she took off her shoes and just let herself fall on the couch. Nobody was around, good for her.

Robin then curled up and sillily started to giggle. Whenever she tried to collect herself, she would resume smiling foolishly and breathing out delighted sights. She felt like hugging herself and rolling around yet she sat up at last and caressed the cheek that Zoro had touched earlier.

What was going to happen now? Where would he take her to? Had he guessed what she would like? How far would they go on their first date? _"Fufufu, my, my, Robin!"_

She excitedly arranged her purchases and prepared herself an infusion. She was almost trotting from one spot to the other, thrilled from head to toe. Her single eye wore a sheen that waved the azure color of her iris.

She eventually sat back on her sofa, cup nested in her hands, and brought her crossed legs on the couch. Another idea occurred to her at last. Robin safely placed the teacup on the table, took her phone out and hurriedly typed a message she then sent. Ten seconds had passed before the little device started to ring and vibrate. Robin answered the call :

"Robin?"

"_Fufufu_, Nami?!"

The red-haired girl squealed on the other side of the line. "I want to know everything!"

* * *

Several days later, on a rainy afternoon, Drake and Robin were enjoying a cup of coffee together, at a table in the cafeteria. They had just finished a pretty demanding exam and could not think of a better idea than relieving themselves with coffee.

"When are we seeing each other for the presentation, Drake?"

"Over the week-end, is that okay for you?"

"Perfect. On Friday night, maybe?" Robin asked in a teasing tone that he failed to discern.

"Err, I'll have to pass for that one. People are coming over." Drake answered, nervous and uneasy.

"Really? Who are they? Can't I come along?"

Drake lifted his head to meet her eye. It did not hit him that she was playing with him. "I assure you, you'd rather not."

"_Fufufu_, I was just kidding. I know about your party on Friday."

"Huh?!" Drake blurted, surprised.

Robin chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm not coming. Is it really going to be all shambles?"

"Well…"

"It's not like you're bringing strippers, radical individuals and what not, right?"

Drake stared back at her in total shock.

"No, no, no, Robin!"

"Then it's not that bad." she purred.

"What about Saturday in the afternoon?" Drake proposed, rushed to change the subject.

Robin immediately recalled the text message Zoro had sent her two days ago about their date at the end of the week. She faintly blushed and lowered her gaze.

"I'm sorry, I can't free myself on that day." she then unexpectedly quieted down.

"Then Sunday?"

"Hm!" Robin cheerfully nodded.

"Great."

Drake had noticed the sudden change in her attitude and he found it more attractive than anything. Still, he got concerned and curious at the same time. He asked himself what would make Robin react like this and tried to find his own answers, in vain.

Since Robin did not even take the initiative to talk about it, he did not want to push her to justify herself. If she ever wanted to chat about it one day, she certainly would.

That was what he thought at that very moment, unaware that the countdown to his romantic disappointment had just accelerated.


	10. Isle of Her (I)

**Disclaimer : **Featured characters and One Piece belong to Eiichiro Oda.

**A/N :** Thank you Tofu and the worst creature for the reviews! Other suggestions have also be taken in consideration :)

Anyway, I'm sorry but I didn't think I would go that far for their first date… so I had to split it up in two parts. Ah… Bear with me…! The big surprises come next! The other part will probably be up on Wednesday. Until then, please review, enjoy and have a lovely beginning of the week!

**Chapter 10 : **Isle of Her (I)

* * *

Seated at her dressing table, armed with a mascara in one hand, Robin was gently freshening up. She wanted to be elegant, more than usual. With a stern expression on her face, she checked if the coral-colored lipstick she had put on was really the right choice, if she should stick her hair up with another hair clip or if she should just wear a hat.

When she realized how concentrated and cold she looked, she started to laugh, albeit a little nervously, at her reflection. Overnight, she had tried to convince herself that this excitement was not to be compared with the tension ahead of any school exam. There was no need to be so serious about it.

"Just enjoy yourself, Robin." she sighed.

It was her first date! With a very attractive guy she had to admit. At first, she did not expect much, she just hoped they would get to know each other better and, due to the circumstances, maybe… Who knows. Then, during the week, he had told her the place of their first meeting and the level of excitement soared.

She carefully closed the door of her apartment and headed for the bus stop. On her way to Orange Town's Blue Station, she sometimes glanced at her appearance through the glass doors of the bus.

If it had not been for the people who were looking at her with somewhat round eyes, she would have twirled to make her brown leather cape coat and her pastel cream a-line dress spin and spin around. At least, her outfit was on point. Under her boots, she wore over knee black socks. The thin white hairband that she had put at the last minute added a little touch of cuteness. Nami would have been proud of her picks, she thought, amused.

* * *

When she crossed the main entrance of the train station, she did not take much time before she found her date, sat with his legs crossed on the bench. His head was pulled back, lying lazily on the back of the bench. Zoro was snoring with his three swords on his lap and a green backpack at his side.

Robin felt an adrenaline rush pumping within her body as she stepped closer to him. Despite the fact that he was sleeping, his strong stance was imposing. His blue jeans and graphic tee made his outfit more colorful than usual. His dark bandana was still tightly tied to his left arm.

His snoring eventually came to a halt and his eyebrows twitched. Robin softly lowered herself and tapped on his shoulder. He cracked an eye, caught a glance of the figure that was in front of him. Zoro then sat up and mumbled a shy excuse. The two stared at each other with a curious eye during a few instants.

"Hey." Robin said in a flirtatious yet innocent voice.

It took him so many efforts to not disgracefully gulp in front of her pretty face. He never minded about whether or not his girl wore make-up but it graced her face even more, or was it that Robin graced her own make-up?

He cleared his throat.

"It's… good… to see you…" he uttered as he scratched the back of his head.

Zoro then took out two envelopes from his pocket, opened them and read the tickets.

"We have to go to the East Chain Platform which is over there." he naturally gestured towards one direction.

Robin cracked a smile.

"Zoro, it's this way." she showed another - almost opposite - direction.

"Are you…?" his words trailed off before he noticed the massive banner that stood over the archway.

"_Fufufu_, shall I take the lead?"

"Tch. It's not like I need you for that, now that I know where it is."

"Right." she purred with an almost indistinguishable frown on her face.

Robin did not expect much but it did not mean she would pass on a little bit of tenderness and gentleness on Zoro's part.

"Where are you taking me to?"

"You"ll know very soon." he flatly replied.

* * *

The two walked towards the stationed train with two very good meters of distance between them. The atmosphere was awkward and the mood was stress-inducing. Robin tried to reassure herself, thinking that both were nervous and that things will get better in the afternoon.

She tried to break the silence a few times as they were heading towards the platform, commenting on the surprisingly very sunny weather or the interesting architecture of the establishment. Unfortunately, Zoro did not seem to be much fond of these topics of conversation and only nodded to her questions.

He pushed the door of their freight car and let Robin climb the few steps ahead of them.

As she stood in the middle of the aisle, Robin almost gasped at the marvelous sight that surrounded them. From the outside, the blue train did look a little passé and austere. But its interior decoration was a charming mixture of classic romantic influence and an opulence of magnificent craftsmen's works.

The ground was upholstered in dark green velvet. A few beams lightened the dim corridor. She could not help but caress the sheening wooden doors that were on both sides of the aisle. She sometimes stopped to admire the golden reliefs that hung on the dividing walls. She had never seen such impressive period decoration in these modern times.

While she eventually slowly walked forward, Zoro followed her and tried to hide his understanding smile. He was a little apprehensive about taking her to another place, even more because it was by the blue train. It was not really how dates rolled out after all. If it did not work, he still had another more standard plan in store.

"Which one is our compartment, Zoro?" Robin asked as she looked back.

Zoro glanced up to find the same number that was written on their tickets. At last, he took a few steps back and opened the door to their little room.

"There."

He waited for her to enter the compartment then went to close the door and sit opposite her on the green leather couch. Robin put her elbows on the table made of marble that separated them. She sighed as she looked out of the window, still contemplative and somewhat daydreaming.

"It's the first time I take the train."

"Ah?" Zoro shot a surprising glance at her.

"Hm. I usually travel by car or plane. I didn't know it could be so relaxing. Why did you choose it?"

"It's the only way to go… where I want us to go." he mumbled out of frustration. "I hope you don't mind." Zoro still voiced, a little worried.

"Not at all. I'm looking forward to it." Robin sweetly smiled.

Since the beginning of the afternoon, what had made him so nervous, not that tactile and very quiet was the simple fact that he did not know if Robin would enjoy this date as much as he certainly would.

The place that he had picked for the beginning of their date was very special to him. He would often go there on holidays to train and meditate in the midst of nature and heartwarming individuals. By taking Robin to that place, he was going to do something he had probably never done so quickly with someone, he was inviting her to explore his own secret universe.

_"Hope she won't think I am creep."_ Zoro thought.

* * *

The steam machine whistled and the train departed, crossing the sea at a growing speed.

For a good while, the two just stared at the ocean with a keen eye but in silence, Robin sighing from time to time in a discreet awe.

At some point, Zoro started to look for something in his backpack then took out a thermostat.

"I have some mocha if you want. Do you?"

Pleasantly surprised, Robin stopped leaning on her elbows, fixed her blue eye on her date and nodded. First the train, now the coffee she had missed out of jitters. Things were indeed slightly getting better even if they were still awkward.

He poured her a cup and placed it in front of her on the table, to which she whispered a polite thank you.

Things got almost silent again as they drank their coffee. Because of the wishfully discreet slurps that echoed in their compartment, Zoro's vein on the forehead popped out of embarrassment. It was just really awkward. How could he let her know he was really excited? How could she let him know about what she thought of it so far? Was she bored? He then shot an incredulous eye as he realized that there had not been a single lengthy discussion.

Zoro breathed out a sigh. He had to think of something, fast.

"Is something wrong?"

"No…" _"Quick, a good question that had not been asked since the beginning."_ "How are you?"

He earned another surprised look from Robin who pensively smiled. "I'm fine, thank you. And you?"

"Good. Good, good." One second, two seconds, three seconds, four seconds and it was already a lot.

"Have you ever been to the countryside?" Maybe it was his survival instinct that was helping him out, he was nonetheless impressed by his own reactivity and initiative at that moment. Conversations were not really his forte.

Robin put her cup back on the table and gazed at the agitated green-haired man that was opposite her, appreciating that he was finally making efforts. The round dark of his iris glowed with a genuine intention.

"In the past yes, but not on the archipelago." Robin began, "Are you taking me there?" she enquired with a faint grin on her face.

It was Zoro's turn to be taken aback by her intervention

"Tch. You still don't know where exactly." he rebuked.

"Indeed." Robin smiled.

Before the returning silence could last more than ten seconds, Zoro spoke again.

"Tell me about your week."

Robin raised an apprehensive eyebrow "Will you really listen?"

He nodded.

"So…" she began in a purr.

It turned out better than expected.

As Robin narrated her week, Zoro was listening to her attentively. She never thought he would be that understanding, and funny in addition to that. He asked for details whenever he wanted to picture her own story better, ridiculed the things she was ranting about. He also joked about her girl friends in an appropriate way, asked about how pointe work was even possible and reassured her that not being able to hammer a nail properly was not really a bad thing.

Then it was her turn to ask about his life and news about his friends. He excitedly told her about how he had met Law and the others in high school. He went on recounting the best moments of his high school days, making Robin cackle at some of his stupid dirty tricks.

* * *

In Orange Town, the other characters were also enjoying their day.

Nami, Nojiko and Makino were doing some shopping around the city, ruining one shopkeeper or two throughout their little walk. The three women stopped at the coffee shop to discuss and maybe exchange the purchases they had obtained with an exceptional rebate, as expected of Nami.

Speaking of her, she evidently had to reveal that her dear raven-haired friend was having her first date with Zoro. Through her mouth, Zoro got hauled over the coals even if, according to Law, 'he was laughing all the way to the bank with his prize money'. Makino was also apprehensive about it while Nojiko swooned over Robin's cute teenage dream-like story.

Iceburg, Franky Usopp and the other guys of the MechaClub were discussing the construction of a new playground in the Main Park with the mayor and a few representatives. Iceburg, Franky and Usopp were idly debating about the theme : the first wanted it to be around water; the second about robots and the last one about rubber (but he eventually joined the team robot at the very moment Franky mentioned the word 'laser beam').

And Drake?

Drake was not looking like a total mess but one could tell he had been looking better on any other day. He walked out of boutique with shamefully devastated but relieved eyes. As he pushed the door of the Olive Tea Spot, he greeted Kaya and Hawkins who were talking about their group assignment over the counter. Kaya noticed the little shiny black bag Drake carefully held by the straps and shot a questioning glance to Hawkins. The blond-haired guy just lowered his sight, smirked and shrugged it off.

* * *

Back to Robin and Zoro, the rest of their thirty minute long trip was spent in a very good natured tone and Zoro eventually sat up as the train reached its first stop.

"Ah, are we getting off?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, go ahead."

There was a huge contrast of brightness between the inside and the outside so it took a few seconds to Robin to adjust and be able to read the name of the station sign, Pandora Harbor.

Robin was in awe once again as she gazed at the traditional architecture that characterized this small seaside town. The autumn sky covered the white houses and their blue domes with yellow undertones. The pleasant ocean breeze and the sounds of waves crashing were lulling her. A few residents were out in the main street, casually conversing as they prepared herbs or played card games.

Zoro jumped from the board of the train and landed just behind her.

"Do you like it?"

Robin turned round to face him properly. "It's really lovely." she cheerfully said.

"We're going to walk for a while, that's ok?"

"Hm." Robin nodded with a cute smile that made Zoro slightly blush and spin his face in an opposite direction.

As they started to walk up the main street, with not even a meter of distance between each other, Zoro was repeating in his head to just go straight. But Robin snapped him out of his thoughts quickly.

"The townspeople seem to know you, do you come here often?" Robin enquired after she saw inhabitants smiling and nodding in their direction.

"I often come here when I have the time."

"What for?"

He then explained how he was not really a city boy in the first place. He had randomly discovered Pandora Harbor while he had been hiking from a city on the same island (located at least at fifty good kilometers from where they were, Robin noted) after a competition and he had become really fond of the place. He then revealed that they were going to his favorite spot in the area. He pointed out to the dark hill that was in the same direction that they were heading to.

_"That is really going to take a while to get there." _Robin thought but really did not mind.

* * *

At some point, a few kids popped out of a small street and disrupted their casual conversation about what was good with fish and rice.

"Mr. Green hair!" one little boy screamed as he got closer, "It's been a while but how come you came here?"

"I just wanted to. I can't?" Zoro gently smiled.

"Of course, you can!" he blissfully answered "Are you going to lift all of us at the same time today?" the kid asked with glowing eyes similar to the rest of his friends'.

"No, another time."

A few of them pouted. "Oh, ok. And is that your wife?" he pointed out to Robin.

"_Fufufu_, oh my." Robin murmured.

"No!" He almost yelled out of frustration. Zoro's temperature escalated and his face was of a blazing red. He grunted as he turned to see his date's reaction who just playfully smiled back. "Go play somewhere else!" Zoro then shooed them away.

The kids left giggling and mocking his embarrassment, then Robin and Zoro resumed walking

"You're not as daring as you've shown me for the past few weeks." Robin eventually teased.

"Same can be said about you." Zoro scolded.

"I have an excuse."

"Now, now. Really?" he scoffed.

"It's my first date." Robin shamelessly claimed.

"What?!" Zoro gasped. "Aren't you, well, in the know?!" Zoro embarrassingly tried to make out his question.

"No. So be considerate or I'll just leave you and go somewhere else." Robin bluntly stated, yet a little sulky.

Zoro did not miss her change in attitude. "You're a baby~" he jested.

"I'm older and taller than you."

"But you're the one being taken care of." Zoro teased again.

She tried to walk a little away from him but he still safely reached her head with his hand and softly patted it a few times.

"I'm joking. I didn't know." Zoro whispered.

His hand proceeded to wander down her back. It also gently pressed against her flank to bring her closer to him again. It then ran to the other side, took off and met her hand at last.

He held it tightly but not roughly and with a quick move he intertwined his fingers with hers, gesture to which Robin responded with her own grip. She had sensed a jolting feeling as he affectionately touched her for the first time this afternoon.

They remained quiet for a while. Zoro's face was pointing down while Robin was looking at him with an admiring eye. Their cheeks were tinted in crimson.

"You're not insensitive at all." Zoro noted in a teasing tone.

"Maybe I really shouldn't have come at all." Robin complained, faking to be annoyed. She then shot a cunning smile to Zoro to reassure him that she was joking.

They were finally getting natural around each other. Robin even childishly made their locked hands swing as they kept chatting during their walk.

* * *

At last, they finally arrived in front of the hill. Their new road consisted in a very long path of stairs which steps were roughly carved into rocks.

The set was much darker now and the alley was surrounded by a few lampposts placed at an equal distance. Robin found the scenery exquisite, especially the whole brown, orange and red colors of the trees that surrounded them.

"We'll have to climb for the next fifteen minutes, do you want me to carry you or?"

"Hm, I'll just try to keep up." Robin uttered as she took a good look in the forward direction.

Zoro made sure to firmly hold her hand so she would not trip. Robin was having a pretty hard time as her small heels were sometimes blocked by little cracks. And no matter how good she was in sports, she was not an extreme athlete and her legs started to sting after a while.

Zoro's sense of alert spiked when he felt that her grasp was gradually loosening and that it almost slipped from his hand. That was when he knew they had to stop. But there was no spot where they could conveniently rest for a while.

Zoro sighed, took off his backpack and lowered himself in front of her.

"Get on my back."

Robin did not think twice and did as instructed, closing her arms around him, on the top of his torso.

"Thank you." she whispered in his ear.

"You could have just said you were tired." Zoro said a bit flustered.

He took his backpack again, holding it in front of him, and he resumed climbing the stairs at a much faster pace.

Robin progressively gave in to the giggle she had tried to suppress after Zoro had reached his maximum speed. In fact, she was slightly jumping up and down on his back as he was trotting his way up.

"Why are you laughing?"

"The way you're climbing is awful!" she laughed.

"Tch! How else do you want me to climb then?". Zoro slowed down.

"Will we arrive there soon?" Robin asked, resting her chin on his now stable shoulder.

"Yeah."

"_Fufufu_, then keep going!" she ordered with a giggle.

* * *

Five minutes later, they finally arrived on the top of the hill. The violet sky was almost very dark; it was twilight. If it was not for the lampposts, both would have not been able to see much.

Robin noticed a very old big abandoned house on her left and almost dashed towards it. She first circled the little decaying pavilion that stood next to the main building, then Robin rushed to inspect the rusty and dusty walls of the house, much to Zoro's disappointment.

"Robin! Come here!" he called her. Robin innocently twirled to look back at him, his voice had startled her.

Zoro then added, pointing towards one direction "We are going back to Orange Town."

From where she was standing, she could not see what he was pointing at. Thus, she had not really a clear idea of what he was talking about. She thought it probably was another path of stairs that climbed down. She was not prepared for that yet, she would rather explore the abandoned creepy building she was carefully looking at.

"Can I look at it a little bit longer?"

He just sighed and approached her. It was unexpected but it also seemed to be fun. Zoro took out his flashlight as she was explaining that it must have been decades since someone pushed the door for the last time. Their impending exploration activity obviously seemed to be dangerous; the house could collapse at any given moment. But both Zoro and Robin obviously did not care nor they did mention it.

She softly pushed the door as Zoro made his flashlight beam the inside of the house. The place was a little damp and just grey all over the place.

They first entered the living room, supposedly. Robin noticed a series of huge and impressive knives of all sorts and oddly shaped blades. They were neatly arranged in a cupboard and they were all clean.

"Look at this. I wonder if the owner of this house was a serial killer. Did the residents tell you about a massive murder from long ago?" she calmly asked.

"Never heard of that." Zoro shared his thought for a brief instant. "Or maybe he could have been a butcher that liked to slice the meat in eccentric forms." he then joked, conscious that his remark did not make sense at all.

"Surely human meat."

And each room got its own round of - sometimes too silly to even be mentioned and recalled - comments. Zoro was really enjoying it, so did Robin. Unfortunately, their trip came to an end when they tried to get upstairs and that one step cracked violently under Zoro's weight.

They half-heartedly got out of the house, Robin walking at a slower pace than his. She did not want to get outside and climb down this hill and she did not want to climb down her little cloud of bliss. She was having a good time and she strongly wished it could go on a little longer.

She let herself be guided by Zoro's light, telling him about the right direction when he was about to go way back in the dreadful kitchen.

She waited for him to be outside to force out a sigh and meditate upon her changing feelings.


	11. Isle of Her (II)

**Disclaimer : **Featured characters and One Piece belong to Eiichiro Oda.

**A/N : **Here it goes, worrrr! Please drop a review (even if it says - and explains - that it sucks)

**Chapter 11 : **Isle of Her (II)

* * *

As she finally made her way outside, Zoro took her hand and led her towards the odd shape that Robin eventually saw.

When she realized it was a hot-air balloon, she could not help but be awed by Zoro's idea. After she brought her hands to cover her mouth, she looked at him with a very round and shimmering eye.

He smirked as her reaction confirmed that extraordinary romantic settings did work out best. He got closer to their driver who had gotten there an hour earlier at most. Robin and Zoro had arrived a little earlier than expected so the balloon was still to be prepared.

It was unusual and quite risky to go ballooning that late but the driver, who was a old resident, was really used to it. He had known Zoro for a long time and he wanted to thank him for his numerous services while he stayed at Pandora Harbor. Zoro had initially asked him to just teach him how to simply maneuver the machine so he would only have to do the rest. They probably had avoided the worst.

As the pilot settled a few things with Zoro, Robin stayed and stared at the inflating scene from afar. Her previous thoughts came back to her mind. She considered that this date might finally come to an end once they landed in their city and it made her a little melancholic. She was afraid he would call it a day then go back home. She selfishly wanted him at her side as she would be guided to other wonderful places like these or just taken into other kinds of adventures.

He motioned her to come closer as the two men took place in the gondola. It was already floating a little when Zoro took her hand to help her climb up. A light placed inside the balloon made its blue, red and yellow patterns shine warmly.

Zoro invited her to go sit next to him on the plain seats that were in the opposite corner of the driver's. As they were slowly ascending, Zoro took out his thermostat.

"Do you want some coffee again?"

"No, thank you." Robin gently answered as she sat next to him.

Zoro then took out a thick brown blanket from his backpack and wrapped it around her.

"It will be very cold on our way back." he asserted and Robin nodded.

"Aren't you cold?" she asked as she glanced at his uncovered biceps.

"No." he replied with an unexpected smirk.

"I didn't know it would be so rewarding to not feel the cold." Robin sarcastically remarked.

"A great swordsman can withstand this, it's nippy at worst." he said with a foolish grin, to which Robin just smiled.

* * *

The two stared up at the flame that fired from the burner, describing and discussing the movements and shadows that agitated the inside of the balloon. That was one of the many things that Robin had enjoyed a lot during the afternoon : talking with Zoro about trivial things on a very lighthearted - sometimes really childish - note. It relaxed her mind. Just simple conversations, deprived of any tricky and smart complexity that left questions partially unanswered.

She got up and asked Zoro to accompany her to the edges of the basket. Both leaned their elbows on the rubbery wrap that covered the woven wicker. They then looked down to see the small reflection of the light of the balloon on the ocean.

Robin eventually caught a glimpse of a good bunch of gleams crowded in the same area.

"Isn't that…?" she started to say in a loud tone, out of surprise, pointing at the lights.

"Orange Town? Yes, miss. We'll be there in twenty minutes." The pilot answered.

"It's so tiny, isn't it, Zoro?" she asked cheerfully.

"Uh." he assented.

Then they heard the sea train pass not that far, going back to the city they were heading to.

Robin was so mesmerized, a giggle escaped her mouth.

"Do you like it?"

Robin raised an eyebrow, still with a smile. "Does it look like I don't?"

"I had to be sure." Zoro said with a small grin.

"Is it the first time you take your date to go ballooning?" Robin enquired, curious, a little envious too.

"Yep."

She opened her blue eye wide. "Really?"

"Uh. Why?"

Strangely enough, he was oblivious to what she was trying to mean.

"Oh, nothing." she hummed.

His sincere answer really warmed her heart. He had not seemed to be acting out of pure self-interest. She had even considered the possibility of engaging herself in a relationship with him if he did not voice the initiative, if he ever got shy and reserved in the end.

"Look, we can see the big library clearly now." Zoro asserted as he motioned in the direction of the city.

It initiated a game of guesses about what light or what color pertained to what building. It only lasted five minutes since the hot-air balloon started to head towards the outskirts of Orange Town and descended at the same time.

As they were losing attitude, Robin breathed out a lengthy sigh.

"Is something wrong?"

"Not in the slightest." Robin then added, turning herself towards him "Thank you for the quality time. This date was perfect, Zoro."

In a genuinely shy manner, she hugged him and rested the side of her head on his shoulder, face pointing towards the horizon. She could surely feel his heart beat really fast, almost thumping against her chest. Hers was calmer but it still was agitated.

Zoro returned the embrace and started to stroke her hair, trying to ignore the whirlwind of good feelings that took over him.

"_Fufufu_, do you like my hair that much?" she asked in a teasing tone.

"It's… silky."

She closed her eye forcefully then chuckled.

"What was that?"

"Extreme cheesiness and your voice don't match."

"Tch!" he just uttered and kept caressing her hair. "It's not over yet though."

Robin removed her head off his shoulder and backed away her upper body. Before she could say anything, Zoro asked :

"Aren't you feeling hungry?"

"Just a little." she admitted.

Zoro grinned. "Then we'll have to go for a bite, right?"

Robin nodded before placing her head back on his shoulder.

The night was taking the entire control of the surroundings. Under the only light that enveloped their bodies, they stayed like this until the few moments that preceded the landing, appreciating the affectionate contact and warmth they provided each other with.

* * *

After they came down, Zoro made sure the pilot would be able to take care of things from now on. His old friend reassured him and wished the pair a very good evening.

Zoro took Robin's hand and led her to the black cab that was waiting for them a few dozens of meters away.

He invited Robin to get in as he held the door and she graciously sat on the back seat.

"To the Prisoners' Secret Garden, please." Zoro demanded as he closed the door.

It was time to get even more playful.

It's not that she knew Orange Town like the back of her hand but it was almost the case. That restaurant was one the few places she had never heard of. The name had her confused and apprehensive even though she concealed it.

During the whole trip, Robin tried to make him reveal what kind of restaurant was the one he had mentioned.

Firstly, she tried to direct him questions in a slightly demanding tone. When she became aware it would not work, she went the soft way, leaning closer to him and uttering her guesses in a somehow flirtatious voice that did not leave him impassible, earning a few grunts, a blush and loud embarrassed sighs.

Nevertheless, Zoro managed to not spit anything despite her pleas and the pouting expression she attempted to make as a final resort. The girl had obviously become way much excited after he had told her about the upcoming dinner. He could not figure out why but he was enjoying seeing her perplexed, for a change.

* * *

The Prisoners' Secret Garden was an excellent and secretive restaurant located near the outskirts of the city, at the far opposite end from her place.

There was burgundy everywhere, on the carpet, on the ceiling, on the walls, on the velvet curtains that sided the doors and the counter that welcomed the two.

Your kind of typical chic restaurant if there had not been - male and female - transvestites and strangely dressed people, loud pop music blasting from the scene and rainbow lights beaming all around the place. The customers were clearly enjoying themselves. Robin was shocked but certainly not in a bad way. The very few drag queens that were among the waiting staff seemed more refined than the _okama_ she had seen weeks ago. She faced Zoro who looked a little appalled at the scenery and he still idly sighed.

The two neared the counter where the maître d'hotel was standing. He wore a fake moustache, round glasses and a bowler hat. His upper body was dressed in a suit but Robin caught a glance of the fishnet stockings he was wearing below the waist.

"May I know where the ladies' room is?" she asked before Zoro even could give the details of his reservation.

"It's on your left, milady." he almost sang in a voice that mixed low and high-pitched tones.

Robin just nodded and took off.

The maître d'hotel then turned to Zoro.

"Iva-sama has notified us about your arrival tonight. Everything has been prepared in the V.I.P. room and even Mr. Sanji came to lend a hand." he said in the same unusual rhythmics.

"They're that close, huh. You should hire him."

"Hohoho-ouuu! That would be indeed a pleasant treat to have him among us everyday! What a spunky boy he is!" the maître asserted.

Zoro glanced in the direction where Robin had headed to and approached the maître to speak to him in the ear.

"Make sure to guide her to the V.I.P room. I know she could remain here if she wished to."

"Hohoho-ouuu! Understood, Mr. Roronoa. Have a nice evening, here, at the Prisoners' Secret Garden!" he finally said in his own short showcase.

* * *

When Robin came back, the maître gestured to one of the female waiters to accompany the raven-haired woman to her table. She was wearing a very loose dark blue suit and a fake beard. She eventually pushed the doors of a much calmer room which lights were also more soothing.

The room was smaller and had fair walls. Consequently, there were only a few tables there and most of them were vacant. Each table was arranged with corner seatings. The waiter led Robin by the hand to the back of the room and left her just in front of her table with a very polite greeting said in French.

Zoro was already sitting at their table, leaning back on the back of the leather couch and with his arms crossed over his torso. The table in itself was nothing extraordinary, but the halo of Casablanca and pink lilies that circled the top of the seating furniture surely was.

Once again, Robin was speechless. Speechless because of the flowers, his efforts and this great attention.

Zoro repeatedly patted the seat to invite her to sit.

"I didn't know you would go that far." Robin sighed while she took a seat next to him.

"I wish I could do much more." he firstly said, "What did you expect?"

"Not a half of that." she purred "You're really a man of mysteries, Zoro."

He was used to replying back to compliments with his own flirty remarks. But that one. That one. He let it sink in with a huge feeling of satisfaction and digested it in a blissful silence. That compliment as strange as it might seem was like a trophy to him.

Robin stroked his arm, calling him back to earth. Zoro then cleared his throat and took the menu that was in front of him.

"What do you want to eat?"

"I'll take whatever you pick." Robin smiled as she read the menu as well.

"…"

"You don't plan to take anything, do you?" Robin joked.

"The… 'Hell Wink' burger and fries, is that all right?"

"It's fine."

"I can't make much of what's written down here."

"_Fufufu_, I could tell."

Plus, being around Robin was not that much of hassle after all. It was even more entertaining than with any girlfriend he had in the past. At least, she enjoyed his foolish antics from time to time. It felt just right to stay with her.

He was still a little perturbed by her very presence and sensuality but he gradually get used to channeling his feelings, as their mutual attraction became more balanced and sound. He just had to try his best to not stare at her, wherever it might be, for too long, at the risk of getting lost in her everything yet again.

When their plates arrived, Zoro's anticipating smirk gradually disappeared and he remained quiet. There was not enough food on his plate, to his humble opinion. His date was already eating her meal, he could hear her fork in action, slaughtering the little pink fries. He was even more confused that she did not react at the quantity of the portions they got. His stillness called Robin's attention :

"What's going on?"

Zoro briefly shot an absent-minded look at her before looking at his plate again with a disappointed frown.

"_Fufufu_, Zoro, is there a problem with the food?"

Zoro just turned round and looked at her, still very confused.

Robin started to laugh loudly and Zoro's frown deepened.

"You should look at your face right now."

He just groaned then made her plate glide towards him, pulling him with three fingers.

"Your share is too big, give it to me."

It made her stop immediately. She shot him a frown to which he replied with a more severe frown and Robin grimaced. It was his turn to chuckle and the two started eating cheerfully again.

"Despite the lack of it, the food is excellent."

"It's as good as Sanji's. He told me about this place ages ago." Zoro idly said while munching his fries.

"How is he doing by the way?"

"Pretty good, I suppose."

"You're very close, aren't you?"

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…."

"You can't deny it, Zoro."

"Let's go for a drink afterwards." Zoro proposed, trying to divert her attention by changing the subject.

"Fine." Robin accepted with a little sorry smile. She had understood very soon that there would be things he would be really reluctant to talk about.

"I'll pick the place." she then added.

"Do we need a taxi to get there?"

"Yes, mister."

"All right." Zoro then excused himself to phone the taxi service for later.

* * *

In the end, the two did not spend that much time at the restaurant. Considering the little amount they had for the meal, they both decided to pass on the dessert. Zoro stole a good bunch of flowers to make an impromptu bouquet with clean napkins and the string that wrapped the cutlery.

Robin accepted his gift with slightly shaky hands, a charming chuckle and a charming blush.

The trip in the taxicab was more silent than the first one, probably because of digestion or probably because the two were already thinking about how the night would conclude. Robin had a very good idea of the beginning, Zoro was mostly focused on thinking about the end.

The two eventually got out of the car just to face a convenience store in Robin's neighborhood.

"Oi, that's not a bar." Zoro complained.

"You wanted to go for a drink, you didn't say you wanted to go to a bar." Robin clarified. "How about a drink at my place?" she formally suggested.

"Okay." he answered a little nervous.

Robin first picked two bottles of wine at the back of the convenience store, with Zoro's approval, of course. She then wandered in a few sections of the store, picking a product or two at each time. Zoro eventually intervened :

"Oi, I don't think I can drink flour or eggs." he then continued, "Robin, what the hell do you plan to do?"

"You're really eager to drink, aren't you?", she looked at her basket, a little perturbed. "We didn't eat a dessert so I thought we could make one." she idly said.

"We?"

"Yes, _we_."

"Oh…"

Robin just smiled as she went on picking the remaining ingredients for her recipe.

When they arrived at her place, Robin immediately requested him to get ready since she really wanted him to help her.

They were just making a simple cake but Robin was so in the mood to keep him at her side and have fun with him. He helped her whisked the mixture and Robin took care of the crucial tasks that needed her dexterity and gentleness. In the end, Zoro celebrated the making of his first cake, kind of. Robin acclaimed him in a teasing note as she put the mold in the oven.

"And when are we drinking?"

"_Fufufu_, not yet." Robin neared him cunningly, and got closer to his face. Caught unawares, his unsealed eye wavered dizzily to then stare right at her face. And it got lost, gazing at her eye patch, then her nose, the lips on which the coral color had now faded and finally her aquamarine eye.

"Can't you wait a little more?" she asked before her finger painted his nose with chocolate. She stood back a little to admire his priceless shocked face. So she got closer to brush her chocolate-covered finger twice, on each cheek.

That second time, Zoro reacted :

"If you want to play that game, so be it!" he declared. He looked frantically for the pack of flour that he had left on one counter. He gathered up a good handful of it then blew on it, a few dozens of centimeters away from her face.

Robin's face and hair got all white which made Zoro laugh his head off. She whipped it out quickly, really embarrassed, then struck back with flour too.

The situation had degenerated but they were both having a good loads of fun.

At some point, Robin laid hands on the bottle of whipped cream and she was about fire some at him. Unfortunately for her, Zoro managed to catch her wrists and pushed her against the counter, blocking her from moving even just a little bit.

The two were giggling because of their own game. Then the giggles quieted down and the tension soared. Their little food fight had been physical and it had also invaded a little part of her living room.

Robin and Zoro were panting, their hearts were beating rapidly because of exhaustion and because of something physical, granted, but of another nature.

The two stared at each other with content smiles. Smiles that reflected different thrills too, thrills of enjoyment, attraction and seduction.

As she eventually tried to lower her wrists, Zoro's grip loosened and let go of them just so his hands could back to her hair and play with it. It felt good for the both of them. He then directed his strokes on the back of her ears before cupping her face in his palms.

Robin felt her body temperature rising as she tried but failed to look straight in his penetrative dark eye. His look in the eye had changed. It was intense but it was somehow tender and vulnerable too.

"Robin, I really want you."

That was how Zoro worded his plea to let her accept his feelings

* * *

_*Ding, dong*_

Later that night, Robin's door was opened by a pretty much naked Zoro with a well glistening skin and only a towel covering him, circled around his waist.

And the person who was now fronting him with a very puzzled look was none other than X Drake.

_"What the hell."_

The two frowned, a little irritated as they recalled their last encounter.

"What's up?" Zoro eventually asked.

"Where's Robin?" Drake came back with.

Zoro stared hard at him in silence.

"Where is she?" the red-haired man reiterated with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"She's just got in the shower. What do you want?" Zoro forced out.

_How he wished he could land a punch in his face and knock him out. If it hadn't been for her._

"Just give her this." Drake demanded as he handed over the boutique's gift bag.

Zoro took it and tried to briefly inspect what was inside. "Ok, that's all?" he asked out of politeness, he could not care less.

"Yep, I've nothing else to add."

"See you around then."

"Right." Drake turned his back and was about to climb down the stairs when Zoro shot one last sentence.

"I hope you'll be a man about it."

Zoro leaned on the doorway, waiting to see if he would answer his provocation or not but Drake just went down the stairs right after.

He got inside and closed the door, holding lazily the bag in his hand. He entered the now clean living room and sat down on Robin's sofa.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Robin got out of her bathroom wearing a black cotton ensemble which consisted in a loose crop top and comfy shorts.

"Zoro?" she called his name as she approached the living room.

Her silhouette was perfect, better than what he had imagined. Her endless slender legs were well toned and so was her tummy. Her skin was also glistening, looked incredibly soft and it emitted an even sweeter scent than her usual one. She was more attractive than ever. Her loose clothes gave a teaser of the better parts of her figure and he really wondered where he would be able to feel the 'real deal' for himself.

He could not suppress the gulp this time, but it was not as scandalous as it could have been.

"What took you so long?" he whined, his voice almost breaking.

"_Fufufu_, you have the nerve to say this!" Robin then continued "I had to launch the laundry and take care of my poor wretched dress. And I had to wash my hair too, Zoro. You really put nasty things up in there."

"You asked for it though." Zoro flatly stated.

Robin glared at him.

"Never mind, I was joking."

Her voice sounded a little annoyed but, deep inside, Robin did not regret anything, albeit just one detail.

"Go to the bedroom, I'll get your cherished wine and our snacks."

Zoro eagerly got up and went through the corridor just to be faced with several doors at its ends.

Robin joined him five minutes later. On one hand, she was holding a platter on which their cake was prepared in bites nailed by food picks. She held the wine bottle and two glasses in the other one. She chose not to comment on the ridiculous situation she was faced with and just sighed. Zoro understandingly took the platter so she could push the right door, the one that had been right in front of him, even though it was closed.

"If you please." Robin purred.

"Hm." Zoro nodded, really embarrased.

He could have fallen on her bed but he calmly sat down, just in case. He placed the platter safely on their bed and opened the wine bottle Robin was giving to him, unconsciously putting the little bag she still had not noticed behind his back.

The two started to snack and drink in a natural and intimate silence.

All of a sudden, Robin tried to feed him, carefully holding the food pick and the bite that was on it above the other hand she had slightly curved. Zoro tried to move back. He was reluctant about this kind of things.

He eventually gave in to Robin's cute move and closed his mouth around the bite of cake, blushing and being flustered. While he tried to move back, he also eventually felt the plastic bag and turned his face away.

He poured her another glass of wine and noticed how adorably she was smiling.

"He came to give you that." Zoro mumbled as he handed the black bag to Robin.

"Who?"

"The red-haired dude."

"Oh, Drake did?" Robin said, surprised.

"Hm." Zoro nodded while he unexpectedly tried to feed her one bite.

Robin put the bag aside before excitedly biting into it.

"When?" she eventually asked, bringing her hand to her mouth to cover the big smile that she wore after his effort.

"When you were in the shower."

At the same time he was chewing the last snack of their chocolate pecan cake, Zoro put the platter on the night table. He then drank his wine glass in one go and lied down.

"Okay." Robin idly uttered.

"Who is he exactly?" The look on his face was preoccupied and Robin could somehow understand what he would be afraid of.

"A very good friend with whom I attended high school with." she simply responded.

"Is that so?"

Robin nodded, a little bit uneasy.

She could have gone on, saying how he was very kind and how she would always be thankful for what he had done. But she remained silent because that day, she had also discovered that Zoro's temperament was also one of his many mysteries.


	12. Anyone Else But You

**Disclaimer : **Featured characters and One Piece belong to Eiichiro Oda.

**A/N : **The plot thickens, hohoho-ouuu. Warning : crackship.  
Ah and also, in the beginning, if that little scene between Zoro and Robin unsettles you, slap me with a book. I'm sorry, I tried to keep it cute é_è

I waited for some feedback for the last two kinda weird chapters but it never came, WWWH-*

**Chapter 12 : **Anyone Else But You

* * *

While Zoro assimilated her assertion with a stern expression, Robin thought over his sudden change in attitude, the cold and belittling tone that had just shaken his voice. _"Could it be that he was…?" _

"Now, what are you going to do about my nakedness, Robin?" Zoro playfully asked as if nothing had happened.

Stopped in her thoughts, she gazed at it, letting her vision quickly trail along the thick lines that delimited his buff muscles and the other traits of his physique.

"Nothing."

"Absolutely nothing?"

Robin's eye left his towel and looked up to meet his face. "I won't let you break my washer dryer and sleep with wet boxers nor I will let you wear my clothes."

Zoro crawled closer to her and whispered :

"It's not like you mind after all."

Zoro then backed a little away. "Nobody would pass on this!" he then bragged as he flaunted his anatomy with an ample gesture of the arm.

What he said was true, but it was also true that Zoro was a 'certified moron' as Nami had coined it.

"Zoro." Robin called out to him, interrupting his chuckle.

"What?"

"To… get back to what you said earlier, I want to wait a little more to.. you know."

Oddly enough, Robin was embarrassed to explicitly mention the topic. It was not difficult to understand what part of their discussions she was referring herself to. His expression darkened. Robin could detect the disappointment.

"Don't take it so badly..."

Zoro sat up. "I didn't think it would be something easy but I didn't think you would send me off like that either. After everything that happened today…"

"You're acting like it's everything. I do want you as well but I just don't feel like doing it, right now, at this point."

"Because maybe it's really important to me, I don't know."

"You should know. I'm serious, Zoro. Don't couples usually test the waters before making that step?"

"Wait, what on earth are you talking about?"

"Having sex!" Robin blurted, "What else were you thinking of?"

"Oh, that!" Zoro lay down on his sides and nested his head in his hand by supporting its weight with his elbow. "I didn't really mean it that way, though."

Robin relaxed her shoulders. "What did you mean then?"

"Going on."

"Zoro, let's avoid miscommunications, shall we?"

A vein popped on his forehead. "Starting something together, 'like adults' they say." he stated, hinting at her inexperience.

"What something?" Robin asked as a gentle tease in spite of the huge excitement that was affecting her.

"Robin." Zoro sighed.

Robin let herself fall softly on the bed, lying her back on the comforter. "_Fufufu_."

"That's all you've got to say?"

"Okay."

Zoro started to play with her side bangs. "At last."

"Will you stick to the resolution you told me about, Zoro?"

"Yeah." Zoro murmured.

"_Fufufu_, and I remember you said you could wait."

"Not really."

"Still, no sex for the moment, no matter how good it's supposed to be. At least, you did a good job at being romantic."

"Should I just kiss you for the time being?" Zoro suggested, without listening to her last remark.

Robin's unsealed blue eye widened and, without even knowing it, she nodded.

He brought his face closer and simply kissed her cheek. "There."

He waited for her reaction. Unfortunately for him, apart from the idle smile she wore on her face, he could not see disappointment or any other change in her face or body language. Her eye did not lost the same glowing intensity that it had for the past instants, which brought a tender smile on his face.

Zoro then decided to get on top of her, still without pressing his weight against her body. He successively kissed her right temple, her forehead and then the tip of her nose. He did not pay attention to her reaction this time.

Robin eventually gasped and giggled.

"The wine!"

Zoro did not stop and went back to her right cheek. He then paused before slowly descending down her neck, now with longer and more passionate kisses.

"_Fufufu_, Zoro, stop." Robin attempted to say in a serious tone.

She noted the changes in his ministrations and her body reacted accordingly. She felt her muscles contract themselves for a brief instant. Her temperature rose. Her throat was now dry and she found herself desperately trying to hold her breath.

"Sssh. That's natural."

"What was the purpose of the shower?" Robin tried to joke to hide her agitation.

"You can take another one in the morning."

"What if I don't want to?" she teasingly suggested.

"Then you can take one at the end of next week." Zoro laughed.

Robin sat up and nervously laughed. "That's nasty!"

"Right."

Zoro then gently put her down on the bed.

He decided to direct his attention to her collarbone before progressively making his way to the end of her shoulder in a round of successive smooches.

He started another - this time, more messy - trail of kisses just above the elastic of her shorts. The tips of his fingers sometimes grazed her flanks, reflecting a desire to touch that was hard to contain.

While Zoro was ascending in his maze of delicate gestures, Robin had her free eye closed, in an attempt to focus on herself and sort out the different sensations that rocked her inside. Her heart beat raised and she could feel a kind of tugging within her chest. Her skin tingled. It was warm and beautiful. Each spot he had left his mark on sent her its own message of pleasure and fondness.

When he reached the furthest limit that was allowed by the edge of her crop top, Zoro lifted himself to go back to the top of her chest, still avoiding to make his body brush against hers.

Zoro went from tenderly nibbling the side of her neck to sucking it with more vehemence.

Robin managed to make out her question while panting heavily. "Zoro… What are you doing…?"

He stopped to answer her, in the midst of his - also - hardly controlled breathing. "I'm just kissing you."

He resumed nibbling at her neck, adding a few soft strokes with his tongue or pressing his lips against her skin to deepen his love bite.

Robin's sudden lengthy mewl of pleasure almost immediately stopped Zoro in his tracks, struck hard by his own sex drive. He had crossed the line and he would have to excuse himself afterwards. He forced out a sigh and - somewhat remorsefully - clenched the sheets to collect himself.

After a few instants, he lifted his sight to meet Robin's smiling and shimmering eye and came closer to her face.

"Robin…" Zoro first moaned, "You're really making it hard for me…"

She was just so irresistible to him.

He finally locked lips with her in a very sweet, passionate and long kiss, closing his eye to appreciate this magic moment even more.

When they eventually parted with a smacking sound and shallow breaths, Zoro gazed at her face as if he were mesmerized.

Robin was looking back at him with a very round, thrilled and happy eye. The skin of her neck and chest was of a vivid pink color whereas her cheeks were of a blazing red. Before she knew it, she loudly sighed out of satisfaction.

Zoro cleared his throat. "I'll be right back."

He got up and headed towards the bathroom which door was fortunately open. He made sure to not show a certain angle nor to let his towel loosen.

Away from his eye, Robin let herself relax herself by stretching her members all over the bed. She could not believe how good it felt, that first kiss. She randomly shot glances up to different spots around her to reassure her it was not a dream. She wanted to rethink the sensation by touching her lips with her fingers. She lost count of the minutes that passed, even got lost in her little world of cheesiness and kept rehashing descriptions of this magic moment in her head.

Twenty minutes had passed when Zoro finally come back, calmer, and joined Robin who had got inside her sheets merely two minutes beforehand.

He spontaneously came under the blanket and hugged her tightly, to not let her go in any case. He thought she was his luck and nobody else, he was certain of that.

Robin moved back a little and affectionately stared at him. She approached him to give one then two and three chaste kisses. On the fourth, she took the initiative to deepen the contact and Zoro followed her. There were harmless bites, breaths and lips either brushing or crashing against one another. And their tongues got to meet and dance together for the first time. And for the first time, Robin wrapped her arms around his neck as as genuine sign of acceptance and greediness for his special care.

When they were out of breath, they maintained this physical connection through the strong hold they had around each other and through the game of light touches their noses were immersed in.

"Good night, my creepy lady."

"_Fufufu_, good night, Zoro."

* * *

The following morning, Robin was the first one to wake up. Her body was curled up right below his stretched out right arm. She sat up to look at her newfound lover. He was sleeping peacefully, in a kind of starfish position.

The alarm clock on the night table read 10:37AM.

Robin glanced back at him and an idea occurred to her mind. In a quick but gentle move, she brushed the tip of her middle finger on his nose. She then traced a way down to the middle of his chest and stopped as she sighed.

She turned round to get up and leave for the kitchen when a hand caught hers.

"Where are you going?"

"Good morning." Robin purred in response before gently kissing him.

"What were you doing?"

"You were awake, weren't you? You looked cute, I couldn't help myself." she paused for a short instant then asked "Did you sleep well?"

Zoro closed his eye and nodded like a child.

"_Fufufu_, good boy." she laughed.

"Can't I stay all day like this?" he whined.

"Not today. I have something to do in the afternoon."

"And can't I stay?"

"Well, if you really want to study geopolitics with me for a few hours."

Zoro made a very disgraceful grimace that made Robin chortle.

"_Fufufu_, I'm sorry…" she still genuinely voiced. "Do you want to eat something in particular before you go?"

"I'm fine. I'll do with coffee and the remaining wine."

"Okay. I'll go prepare your laundry and do the coffee… May I?"

"Hm." Zoro simply assented and he let her go.

The two found each other again, fully clothed, in the living room. They enjoyed their lean breakfast as they recalled the magnificent afternoon and evening they had spent together. From time to time, Robin genuinely complimented him. In fact, she had succumbed to his charms.

Then came the time to bid each other goodbye. At the doorway, Zoro kissed her forehead and almost lifted her high in the air. Her loud giggles managed to catch the attention of her prying neighbors. She had to shush her lover away, a little embarrassed but content.

* * *

"In the first part, the second sub-part seems wonky, doesn't it? We should rearrange the set, I think."

An almost silent nod.

"The references to our sources are pretty well used."

Another one.

"Have you made the sketch of the recapping map you wanted to include?"

Again, a nod but with a gesture to hand the document over.

"It's great, Drake. It'll be perfect juxtaposed to the conclusion and its opening avenue, right?"

This time, the nod was a little slower since she was now staring at him.

"_Fufufu_. Drake, you're agreeing to everything."

"I have nothing to object."

Robin gave him an adorable smile before looking back at their notes. "If you say so."

Drake had arrived in the middle of the afternoon to discuss the writing of their assignment paper. And he quickly turned things in an impromptu and quick brainstorming session on their respective works.

He did not want to stay there too long. He really wanted to wrap it up as soon as possible and get out. When facing her, he recalled the bitter surprise he had the previous evening and that jackass's face.

The oddly shaped vine mark, that Robin wore on her neck and that her collar shirt failed to cover, confirmed the suspicions he already had a hard time accepting. Although she really was lovely on that day, Drake felt just a little ill at ease, gloomy and what not. Even the little clink he heard first under the table did not help lift his spirits. But he should be supportive, right? Because it was Robin, right?

Robin noticed his stone-faced expression darkening a little bit.

"You look tired."

"I'm not." Drake uttered.

"Do you want to drink anything?"

"Not really, Robin. Do you have anything to add?"

"I don't think so…"

"Did you have a good time yesterday?" Drake enquired, probably out of masochism he thought afterwards.

"Yes! It was wonderful. Thank you for the bracelet, by the way." she stated while glancing at the pink piece of jewelry she wore and the different little golden charms that adorned it.

"Glad that you like it." Drake sighed.

Robin raised an eyebrow because of his lack of usual mellowness. "I hope it didn't cost you too much." she then continued, "What was it for?"

"Friday night."

"Oh, right. _Fufufu_."

* * *

_Indeed, even though his party did not include radical individuals nor strippers, it was a complete havoc. Numerous stupid bets were done, numerous pranks were pulled on each other and one involved calling Robin near one in the morning. Fortunately or unfortunately, she was casually reading a novel on her bed._

_"Drake?"_

_"Is she on? Right, she's on." She could not recognize the melodious male voice. In fact, she did not know it was Brook's._

_Two male voices then sang loudly in the receiver "One, two, three, four! RRRRRR-ROBIN DATE MEEEEH! RRRRRR-ROBIN DATE MEEEEH!"_

_There was surely Franky among the singers. Two guitars, one electric and the other one acoustic, could be heard playing the backing track._

_"Franky?"_

_She did not get an answer. Instead, the rock live lasted fifteen long seconds before it eventually got quieter and Robin could finally speak with a more sober interlocutor._

_"What the hell are you two doing?! Wait, who is this?"_

_"Fufufu, Drake. What's going on there?"_

_"…" That silence lasted a good dozen of seconds._

_"Drake?"_

_"I'm sorry. I'll hit you up later."_

_He abruptly hung up on her._

* * *

"I'm really sorry."

"It's fine. You don't have to." she then added, "And all you could think of was buying me a bracelet? Isn't it too much?"

"Robin, let's just forget it."

"Okay." Robin waited a few seconds before shyly asking "Maybe you want to go already?"

"Hm."

Robin nodded back.

The two got up from the sofa and walked towards the door in silence. After he passed the doorway and before he was too far to be reached, Robin gently caught his arm, making him look back at her with surprised then slightly narrowed eyes.

"Drake, have a good rest."

She let go of him and added : "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Ok, have a nice evening."

Drake waved her goodbye with a lazy hand and Robin closed the door.

* * *

It was almost eleven in the morning on the following Monday.

_[Zoro to Nami : Hey witch what's your classroom]_

_[Nami to Zoro : Didn't you learn other words in kindergarden?]_

_[Zoro to Nami : Answer the damn question]_

_[Nami to Zoro : Why would I? I don't want yo see your face!]_

_[Zoro to Nami : I don't want to see yours either I have to meet with Robin]_

Nami strained up and looked at her dear raven-haired friend who was attentively listening to the class, seated next to Hawkins. Kaya shot her a questioning look to which Nami just nodded with a blink and a grin.

_[Nami to Zoro : 35A]_

_[Zoro to Nami : Thank you]_

_[Nami to Zoro : You're welcome, moron.]_

"What's up with Robin?" Kaya enquired.

"I don't really…"

Professor Tsuru cleared her throat, fixing her red-haired student with a scolding look in the eye, and she spoke again. "As I said, the coalition of these kingdoms, that were under the banner of the World Government at that time, served as a preamble to major changes in this region of the Grand Line. The formation of the first axis was in place."

Nami lowered herself and resumed speaking to Kaya in a whisper "I don't really know but we'll find out at the end of the class. If I have a strong hunch, anyway."

"I got it."

Eleven rang and class was over.

The two girls watched their black-haired friend chat with Hawkins then Usopp as she put her notebook in her bag. No matter the angle they used to observe the scene, there was nothing really wrong. Robin was not acting strangely at all. She was just smiling preciously, as usual.

"Tell me, Nami."

"Robin was supposed to have her first date with Zoro last Saturday and I have yet to get her feedback." Nami stated.

Their eyes followed their friend who was now leaving the classroom alone.

Kaya looked back at Nami. "Do you think she's hiding something?"

"Come on, let's go." Nami said as she took her hand to stalk their raven-haired friend out of the classroom. She then added "She has been tight-lipped about it but Zoro said he'd come here."

"Wow, did he really?"

"Yeah… I hope this jerk won't get lost! Tsk. What a pain!"

When they got out, the first thing that hit their vision was a young couple of a green-haired boy and a raven-haired girl kissing and cuddling in front of them.

Their jaws would have dropped down to the floor if they could.

Hawkins and Drake soon got out and somehow faintly slowed their steps when they caught a glance of the scene. Their lives shortly took their course again and they resumed walking down the corridor at a casual pace to leave the place.

"I didn't know about that." Hawkins idly said.

"I didn't either." Drake muttered the lie, feigning nonchalance.

Nami approached the couple and clapped.

"Wow, good job, you two!" Nami first said in a jesting tone, calling the attention of the pair. "And what you're supposed to tell me?"

"-h-nks" Zoro muttered

"What? What's the word?"

"Thanks."

Robin turned to face her boyfriend. "Why so?"

Whereas Zoro grunted in response, Nami clarified the situation "He asked for the classroom in order to come pick you up."

"Congratulations to the both of you!" Kaya said in her gentle voice.

"Thank you, Kaya. Did you have a lovely weekend?"

"Wasn't that the question I asked you, Robin?"

"_Fufufu_!", she then spoke to Zoro "Do you have a class right now?"

"Yep, in five minutes. I just wanted to see you."

"See? You're a romantic one." Robin teased.

"Hmpf, it's not the same." Zoro corrected as he hid in the crook of her neck, still holding her by the waist.

Nami winced at his behavior. "I assure you, Robin. It's not the same. Now go!"

"Get lost, witch!" Zoro snapped.

"I'll see you later, okay?" Robin whispered in his ear soon after as she let her hand wander in his green hair.

The green-haired man let go of her, glanced at her face one last time, turned his back and left.

"We're losing you, Robin." her red-haired friend then remarked.

"You're all red, Robin." Kaya tagged along.

"_Fufufu_, then maybe I should keep the details of my date to myself…"

"No!" the other two shouted at the same time before respectively taking her by one arm and hurriedly leading her to the cafeteria.

* * *

Fast-forwarding to ten in the evening, a young athletic and red-haired man was blankly staring at his beer, seating at the counter of the closest bar to his place.

Was he mad? _"Not really."_

Was that bracelet really making up for Friday's mishap? _"Not really."_

Then, what was it really for?

From the very start, it all had been miscalculations. Now his dear friend was going out with another man and he was seating alone in that bar.

Should he have calculated their fates in the first place? When X Drake looked back at it, everything had seemed to be in his favor. She had just popped out of nowhere after he had experienced a period of major confusion. She was pretty, akin but prettier than her. She had needed someone and he had been there.

And he could not deny that, since they had met again at university, the way he had seen her was not comparable to the fluffy attention he had during those last high school days.

Maybe his affection towards her was just a matter of unstated needs, that he would bump into someone else later, that it would click and there he would go again, exploring new perspectives again.

"Tsk."

Still, was it really his fault? Or was it hers? For making him too attached and sending these wrong affectionate signals he was undeniably too fond of now.

Two glasses of scotch whisky later, his position changed to a stiffer one. He was leaning on his elbows and was absent-mindedly gazing at the dozens of bottles that were in front of him.

All of a sudden, two arms were wrapped around him to pull him in a soft embrace. A head came to rest on his shoulders as its owner's body gently pressed against his and the fingers started to play with each other before his sight.

"I've missed you…" a gentle feminine voice purred in his ears.

Her voice did startle him, inside. "You just left."

"Didn't you miss me?"

"…"

"How much?"

"Enough to convince me to move on."

Her head tilted to the side, letting her long dark hair fall on his torso. In the corner of his eyes, he could sense the gaze of her clear eyes on his. "I've heard harsher, Drake." she sighed.

"I'm not having a good day."

"That's a bad excuse." she then continued, "Do you remember, Drake? We would often come here, together…"

"You just left."

"I am sorry."

"You could have at least told me where you were going."

"I couldn't, Drake."

He just rolled his eyes and sipped on his fourth drink of the night.

"Forgive me."

"I already have."

"I'm glad." she smiled.

The two stayed like this for several minutes before Drake eventually relaxed his shoulders.

"Violet."

"Hum?"

Drake did not even turn round to face her and his voice sounded rather cold, but with determination and slight anxiousness. "Come spend the night with me."

* * *

Occurred what occurred, the two naked silhouettes were still entangled in one another at that late hour.

Drake felt a tingling sensation after they had slept together, for the first time after almost two years. He gazed at her.

Was it a bad idea?

On the spur of the moment, he felt relieved. He did not feel attached to the young woman that was lying between his legs, not anymore. And it seemed like he had forgotten Robin for a moment… hadn't he? If it was a way to divert his attention from the woman that had claimed such big spot in his mind and heart, then 'heck yeah' he would run the risk of this game.

After their moment of intimacy, she was very ecstatic and somewhat a little dizzy,

"I can't believe I've forgotten how great it felt. You were really rough today, I liked it."

Her hands traveled all the way up on his torso and neck to eventually caress his sideburns.

"It was amazing, Drake." Violet murmured.

But when she tried to get closer to him and peck his lips, he uttered the cold words that halted her initiative :

"I've moved on, Violet."

"I…"

"Things are fine the way they are now. We should stick to that…"

"Stick to what?" she asked, a little baffled.

"Occasionally seeing each other, just having sex together." he answered in a sharp tone.

She painfully let it sink in for a silent minute.

"I see... Maybe you're right." she lied with a smile and contented herself with a mere embrace over his figure.

She might have done a mistake by leaving him for another one back then but she had learned it had been wrong. Now that she finally had him by her side, she would conquer him no matter what.

As far as she was concerned, there was no way she would leave things like this.

* * *

***A/N : **What I really meant of course is that I still appreciate reviews and I hope you'll leave one, wherever it is. Thank you for reading!


	13. Everyone's at It

**Disclaimer : **Featured characters and One Piece belong to Eiichiro Oda.

**A/N :** Well, hello.

To the anon guest : Why can't we have both?! (YAAAAAY!)

To the worst creature : Hehe, now that we're both done, we can SLEEP MORE! *silly laughter*

I've been too busy for the past week and I wasn't really inspired for this chapter… To the point that I wanted to picture Violet as a very schizophrenic individual… Argh… I'm also thinking about re-writing the chapters to make them more informal (with just minor changes)… I'll try to update quicker now that we're getting even more into the *sparkles* DRAMA*sparkles*

Please review :)

**Chapter 13 :** Everyone's at It

* * *

A chilly breeze hit his surroundings, making his eyelids twitch in response. He breathed in deeply and stretched out his arms, making sure not to hit the figure that lay face down next to him.

His eyes opened and everything was of a dark purple shade. Drake glanced over the seemingly sleeping silhouette's back to get an idea of the time it was. Probably one hour before dawn. He sighed as he recalled his personal activities for the day : the classes, the part-time job in the evening and that movie date too. His lips tugged downwards as he pondered if it was really a good thing or not.

Out of the blue, he sensed a tickling touch gently tapping over his abs. He stared at the back of her head, waiting for her to turn round and show herself but, instead, she just chuckled. He let himself quiver under her prolongated touch before she eventually made her move, got daring and closer to him.

* * *

Thirty minutes had passed and the two had got up. They were now enjoying a morning coffee in her kitchenette, Violet sitting on his lap, with his shirt on.

Over the past month, things had indeed changed. He had let himself enter that grey zone where things were neither official or unofficial. His relationship with his ex followed a very scalloped line. Much to her happiness, it was all about filling a - sometimes little, sometimes big - sentimental void for him mostly. But much to her dismay, things would never be the same again. She still tried to make her way to claim his heart her own again, devoting all her body and soul to his physical expectations; and maybe good feelings will come back later.

"So, what's your program for today?" she cheerily asked as she buttered a slice of bread.

"Nothing extraordinary."

"Seems I have to go digging for answers!" Violet first chuckled. "What classes?"

"Geopolitics, Economic theories, Void Century History and…" Drake trailed off.

"And…?"

"I think Japanese."

Violet laughed. "Pfft! You think it's Japanese. And what about your big assignments?"

"I have two group assignments for each semester this year."

"Oh really? And who are you paired with?"

"I'm-"

"Wait! Let me guess! Is that… Hawkins?" she interrupted him, placing her finger over his lips.

"Nope." Drake smiled.

"Then Usopp?"

He shook his head.

"Smoker?" she tried to guess.

"We don't go to the same university, Violet."

"I can't remember anyone else that is still around town…" she mused. "Most of your teammates went abroad, that's so weird!"

He took a sip of his coffee. "I guess it is."

"I give up! Tell me the answer."

Drake sighed as he rubbed his bare left thigh. "Nico Robin."

Violet blinked a few times. "Robin? Nico Robin?"

She did recall her name since they attended the same sports club, even though they were in different teams. During past performances, she had considered her to be direct competition for the club prize after all. The not-so-vague memory she had of her was the image of a lonely and dark girl no one would ever be interested in.

Drake motioned her to get up so he could go take a glass of water. "Yes, Nico Robin."

She cocked a surprised but dubious eyebrow. "The ballet girl Nico Robin? The loner Nico Robin? The girl Hancock's crew beat up once?"

With his hands lying on the edges of the sink, Drake grimaced. "Yeah."

"Wow…I would have never guessed. I never talked to her, she was too aloof."

"You're the one to talk." Drake blurted, glancing back over his shoulder.

"Hehe, but I didn't reject you at least!" Violet said as she flashed a cheeky smile.

He idly stared at her. After all this time, he did wonder how they had been together for a good long year and a half. He wouldn't deny that he had been mesmerized by her figure and stance back then. She was one of the few girls people were running after and she matched the visual description of his ideal type. Although he used to be quite careless, he couldn't have been that oblivious to date such whimsical and childish girl. Maybe there was a good reason he had forgotten their shared experiences back then.

Granted she was a good partner in bed and she provided the affection he had missed with the only great girl that had been on his list. But there were times when her personality irked him. She was catty, clingy and she lacked that kind of class that…

As he realized the impending comparison, he didn't let himself finish his thought and just shook his head to the other side.

"That's an odd combination." Violet blurted.

Drake just shrugged to her assertion.

"And how are things with her? How is she? Not that I'm really curious about it anyway."

"Cordial and she's fine." Drake still answered.

"Fine? Don't you have to tell me the little story?"

"Not really, Violet."

She got up and silently came closer to him, walking on her toes.

"Baby, you're cold this morning." she uttered in a coquettish tone as she hugged him from behind.

"Don't call me that way." Drake rebuked.

"Do you like her?"

"Violet, stop."

"She was a freak anyway, I wonder who I'm fooling."

Drake broke her embrace and spun round to front her. "Violet, just stop talking about her, will you?"

He stared at her with an irritated look in the eyes.

She used her teary-eyed stunt. "You don't need to get all worked up."

"My shirt." Drake ordered as he motioned towards the piece of clothing.

"I want to keep it…" Violet whined, protectively crossing her arms over her chest.

He turned his back and headed towards her small bedroom to get the rest of his belongings.

"Whatever, I'm going." Drake declared as he put on his sweater.

"Drake…"

"…"

Violet chuckled. "Drake! I'm sorry, I'm such a bad person."

"You don't mean it." he grunted to himself.

They stood at the doorway, Violet wiggling around and biting her lower lip.

"Will you come tonight?" she almost whispered.

"Yeah, I'll come but I don't know exactly when." Drake blankly answered as he tightened his grip around his helmet.

She smirked and started closing the door. "That's all that matters. You promised me… See you later then."

After he got outside and climbed his vehicle, Drake started the engine of his bike.

She was right. He didn't need to get so worked up because things were not the same anymore. Tonight, he would make sure that, he and Robin, had taken the good turning point.

* * *

He checked the old clock that hung just behind him. If she was to come on time, there were seven minutes left. He kept on wiping the vacant table that was located next to the window and he eventually saw her tall figure waiting for the traffic lights to change. Done with his work, he went behind the counter to prepare something for his guest.

The door bell eventually rang and she appeared with her usual precious smile, despite the slightly drizzling cold weather and the late hour of their meeting.

"A wild Nico Robin appears." Drake jested.

"_Fufufu_, what's wrong?"

"It's been a while."

"Four hours." she provoked.

"Since we've hung around together outside classes and the cold small rooms of the university, Robin."

She came to sit at the counter. "I've been poorly managing my free time as of lately."

"To the point that even Nami complains about it."

"Is there an uprising in the shadows? Should I put an end to the revolution before I'm overthrown?" Robin teased then continued "Weren't we supposed to have a little talk about next week, though?"

Her voice sounded a little huskier than usual.

"Maybe it will come later. Here. My treat." Drake said as he handed over a good cup of espresso.

She inspected the leaf that decorated her coffee cup and flashed him a genuine smile of appreciation. "Thank you."

"I'm glad to see you're in a good mood."

"And I return the compliment."

He gazed at her face for a while. He would have never thought she could get even more graceful and mature-looking yet she did. On that evening, she looked a little tired but she kept glowing with her typical elegance. She had braided one of her side bangs and clipped it behind her ear to even out her haircut. When she slightly moved her head, the tip of her slightly wet black hair brushed against her shoulders. She put her trench coat aside and adjusted the red Peter Pan collar of her white blouse, making it covering her neck. She then coughed a little which made him regret he hadn't given her an infusion instead.

Her smiling sapphirine eye was also idly looking at him but he could not tell if she had the same positive impressions he had about her appearance.

At last, she shifted her attention to the coffee cup she was about to taste. "You look more masculine today, with your green apron."

"Huh?"

"_Fufufu_, you've heard me well."

"What's up with you?"

"Nothing!" Robin giggled.

"Are you okay? Are you high?" Drake joked while Robin laughed at his jests.

"Then is that the Zoro effect?"

Her giggles faded and she cleared her throat before shyly drinking a little bit of her hot drink.

"No, it isn't." Robin eventually uttered.

"I'm kidding. How are things going with him?"

"We're good." Robin just stated then she sighed as she lifted her sight to meet his. "I don't really want to go into details."

"So I'll have to be direct. Do you like him? Is he good to you?"

"Of course, I do and, of course, he is." Robin asserted.

"Then why do you pull the 'blank stare' face on me?"

"It's just weird to talk about it with you."

"I'm not a girl but I'm still your friend, Robin…"

"I know." she tried to reassured him.

Robin then put her cup back on the surface of the counter as she tried to think of an appropriate answer. "We're only a couple, enjoying each other's presence, talking about pointless topics in life, doing simple things..."

"Nami told me you went to the canyon last week." Drake almost cut her off.

"_Fufufu_, okay. We do go on unusual dates, but that's it. I don't have to draw you a diagram about what couples do, Drake, do I?"

"No, you don't."

"And I could ask you back these questions as well."

"And I wish you wouldn't, Robin. There's nothing pretty to find."

"_Fufufu_, then, you may understand."

"Sorry for the inconvenience, miss. By the way, how do you find this place?"

She strained up and started to scan the big room decorated in different shades of greens and creams. "It's cute."

"It's the first time you're coming here. I thought you would be more excited."

"You had me waiting for a good month at least." Robin defended herself.

"Hmpf. What about the employees?"

"_Fufufu_, you're the only one around here."

He kept expecting an accurate answer.

"I guess they're nice." Robin declared, faking a lack of interest.

"That's-"

Her phone buzzed and emitted three high-pitched notes and she hurriedly took it out of her handbag.

Drake wore a sorry smile and left for the oven that was out of her vision. When he came back a minute later, she had just put it back in her bag.

"Done?" he politely asked.

"Yes. What is it?" Robin enquired as she gazed at the grey plate he was holding tightly in his hands.

"Raspberry and honey muffins."

She shot him a vivacious look.

"Help yourself but eat them, not me." he joked.

He could have told her she looked liked she had the appetite of a pregnant woman but he was unsure of her would-be reaction. At best, she would have fired back that she didn't gain weight at all; which was indeed true. At worst, he would have probably witnessed a paranormal phenomenon, and maybe the last scene of his life.

After she tugged a wandering strand of hair behind her ear, she picked one delicacy and started munching it.

Drake waited for a sign on her part to resume their conversation. Their eyes finally met and she just nodded to give him a green light.

"Are you letting your hair grow?"

"Hm. I want it long again and Zoro said he might suit me."

"Zoro did?" Drake sneered, which called her attention. "I've always pictured you as the free bird type."

She stopped eating and frowned because of his statement. "I am. I was just saying."

She reached for a napkin to wipe her mouth.

"Ok." Drake simply said.

She attentively read his face to find any clue to his current state of mind. In spite of the annoyance that had leaked through his voice a few moments before, his face was relaxed. She saw him leaning on his elbows, then reaching for her wrist before touching the charms of her bracelet. When she looked up again, he had a melancholic smile.

"Why did you choose that one?" Robin enquired, out of curiosity and in her lookout for more answers to her little investigation.

"Hm?" he first idly answered "Probably because it would look good on you."

She looked down to gaze at his moving hands. "There are a few symbols that pertain to the Skypiean culture, among others… Do you want me to show them to you?"

His melancholic smile gave way to a more cheerful one as he got even closer to her, in order to be sure to listen to her words.

"Each lucky charm is adorned by an emotion and a number. For instance, this one, passion, is paired up with the number eight which is also…"

While she was giving her little explanations, Robin made sure to observe his reactions. His careful attention truthfully warmed her heart and she could sense he wanted to intervene with a mellow remark, judging by the way his lips parted from time to time.

"So I made a good choice." Drake noted after she was over.

"_Fufufu_, but it's more the kind of a Valentine's Day gift, isn't it?" Robin said as she gently wiggled her wrist.

"I don't think so."

"At least, you listened to me. So, thank you. Zoro just wouldn't try to understand." Robin stated in an attempt to provoke another reaction on his part.

However, the face she was looking at was in a daze. It seemed his eyes were pointing towards the curved tips of her dark hair. She leaned closer and adopted the same position as his, resting her face in the palm of her hand.

"What are you thinking of?"

"The good old times."

"You sound quite dramatic. _Fufufu_, it reminds me of what Nami said a few times."

"What was it about?"

Robin hesitated a little before speaking. "She used to often joke about us being a secret couple."

Drake suddenly got up and looked at her with very round eyes. Robin just chuckled in response.

"Why that?" he asked.

"She was speculating about past rumors." Robin winced a little as she uttered those words.

"Oh." Drake frowned.

"I'm glad she's been proven wrong."

"What?" Drake blurted, a little aggressively.

Robin followed with a frown. "It would have been weird, I suppose."

"Nobody knows." he continued before she could talk "You're being narrow-minded by your obsession with pragmatism."

Drake hurriedly took a bag below the counter and started to pack the sweets for his friend. With his sudden last words, both had sensed things could spike for the worst but there was no turning back, no at that very moment, at least.

"What do you mean? It seems like you're really making a big deal out of it."

"You're tricking yourself too much with everything that flashes in front of you."

"Drake, don't be so sure of yourself." Her cold and sharp tone rang the wrong bell.

"Wh-"

"Drake, we're closing! Tell your girl she has to go, now!" His manager yelled from the service entrance.

He instinctively checked behind then looked back at her and glanced behind him again.

"Hmpf." Drake groaned.

"I'll be going then." Robin nonchalantly said.

Drake could tell she wasn't mad but he could tell she was pretty pissed too. Her blue eye was half closed and looking directly in his. He felt really uneasy at that time and searched for a distraction.

"Wait, take these too." he offered as he pushed the bag on the counter.

"…"

"As I said, my treat."

"Thank you. They're good."

Her flat remark made him remorseful as he recalled the harsh interpretation he had just given her.

"Listen, Robin, I didn't want to upset you."

"Forget it. Words like these slip sometimes." Robin sighed. "I'm leaving. Good night, Drake."

"How are you going to go back home?"

"I'll be fine. I'm staying at his place tonight, it's just ten minutes away."

"All right, then." He hesitantly nodded. "See you tomorrow and take care of your cold."

Robin didn't even turn back when she crossed the door. "I will."

He watched her getting further and further away and reminisced his recent outcry. He hissed out of annoyance at his own stupidity. What was supposed to be a cordial meeting at his workplace almost ended in an altercation. He still liked her so much; there was no point denying he was almost swooning over her. He snapped at her and now it seemed she had closed herself to him, once again. But even before that, he had felt an awkward distance settling itself right between them. Plus, the lack of arguments she usually resorted to justify her discretion certainly didn't win him over. It seemed she didn't want to share her feelings and impressions. It seemed she didn't want to care about his attention anymore. She had even put a physical barrier that just lured him to take the initiative to be tactile. It seemed that they had indeed taken a turning point but ended up going in opposite directions.

He ruffled his red-hair, pensive. He looked outside and realized it was pouring and she hadn't come with anything to cover herself. Drake loudly grumbled then threw his apron on the counter and left the place. He had a movie to go to, after all.

* * *

Law opened the door and let his soaked friend enter the flat.

"Oh, Robin_ ya_. Get in."

"I'm back." she tried to wear an unaffected smile.

"Why didn't you take your umbrella? It's pouring outside."

"I forget it, don't-"

She sneezed beneath the hands she had placed before her right on time.

"Go take a hot bath. I've made bolognese pasta with Zoro." he cheerfully revealed.

"You should go check it again because I'm seeing grey smoke from where I stand."

"Ah!"

A loud grunt ensued, coming from the corridor. The green-haired guy appeared handling several packs of condiments in his hands.

"Zoro, couldn't you stay in the kitchen?! It's a fucking disaster!" Law scolded from the other room.

"Huh?!" the concerned party just groaned as he lifted his eye to look for the source of the scolding.

He noticed her presence and his face immediately lit up.

"Sweetheart, there may be a fire starting in the kitchen." Robin blankly stated as she saw him rush towards her.

"He's taking care of it."

Zoro hugged and sweetly kissed her as a warm welcome. Robin immediately felt relieved and let herself relax in his comforting embrace.

Her coldness startled him and he threw the bags on the closest table. "You're all wet! Why are you just standing there?!"

"I was about to go take a shower." she smiled.

He lifted her and carried her over his shoulder.

"_Fufufu_, Zoro!"

He then noticed the brown paper bag that had just hit his back.

"What's that?"

"Just muffins." she answered in a gradually low voice.

"Ok. Just drop the bag and let's go."

"… Zoro, you're going to the kitchen! Put me down."

He did as instructed but didn't move from his spot.

"Now go." he mumbled out of frustration.

"I appreciate your concern." Robin purred before gently kissing him on the cheek and leaving for the right room.

* * *

He had prepared her a clean thick white tee and a pair of green briefs for when she would walk out of the bathroom.

"So, what are we eating in the end?" Robin asked as she went to join them in the living room.

"Your muffins." Law motioned the little cakes. "The pasta is screwed up."

"Good thing they were packed in a box… There's a lot, though. Did you buy them?" Zoro enquired.

"No, a friend gave them to me." the raven-haired woman sighed.

"Aren't you hungry?" Zoro asked, a little worried.

She loosened the towel that was around her hair. "Not really."

Zoro stood up and came closer to her. With a quick movement he lifted her high enough so she could wrap her legs around him.

"Are you taking me to the rooftop again?" Robin thrillingly smiled.

"No way in hell." Zoro then turned his face towards Law. "The medicine?"

"lt's all on your bed."

"_Fufufu_, good night, Law."

"Too bad you're being babysat, there's a good movie tonight."

She waved at him while Zoro was taking her to his room. "Maybe next time."

Robin checked behind her to be sure he was going to enter the marked door.

After they were out of their friend's sight, she rested her head on his shoulders.

"I'm fine." Robin whined in a surprisingly weak voice.

"You're not."

He safely lay her down on his bed as she murmured a thank you in his ears.

After a while, Robin decided to start a topic of discussion that had fiddled with her mind since morning.

"Sweetheart, do you know it's been a month?"

Zoro tried to put a little order. "Ah? I'm no good for things like these."

"You never celebrate anniversaries?"

"Well, you saw how it was with my own birthday."

"_Fufufu_, right. But it makes me think, how come is it hard to overwhelm you?"

"In what sense?"

"You keep on impressing me with your tricks and dates and, let's say, I don't necessarily have the same imagination for that."

"You don't have to overdo yourself for me. I'm fine." Zoro said before pouring syrup in a coffee spoon.

She cracked a dubitative smile since he hadn't really answered her question but she understood it had been out of his usual reserve.

"What? Law said it's nothing strong, just in case."

"Nothing."

She closed her mouth around the spoon and gulped it down.

"How were the other girls you dated?" Robin enquired with a pretty cunning smile.

He paused then sighed. "Nothing to worry about."

"Is it how I'm going to end on your list afterwards?"

"Don't say stupid things like that."

"I must get prepared." she purred.

"Robin." he groaned, flustered.

"Zoro." she smiled in response.

He just grunted, got up and went to close the door while she was getting inside his sheets.

"I swear, it has never been something really serious." Zoro almost whispered.

"And we've been together for a month."

He joined her and lay down really close to her, looking at her straight in the eye. "Tch! Seriously, I don't feel like giving that kind of talk, right now."

"Zoro." she softly pleaded.

Her hands went around his neck and her fingers started to gently tap his shoulder. They continued in a soft massage that eventually turned rough and rougher, which made him chortle.

"_Oi_, you're persistent!"

"I might crush you…"

"You already sound sleepy."

"Zoro, tell me." she whispered as she got closer in order to kiss him.

"Most of them were just flings. I just stayed longer with some."

"How long do you think we'll last?"

"I don't know..."

Her shimmering aquamarine eye betrayed the confusion she had a hard time hiding.

"I really want it to last, anyway." Zoro said as he brought her closer with his strong arms until she was completely stuck to his body.

She wrapped her arms around him and stroke his back in little circles.

He was wrong. Drake was wrong. She wasn't mad with him but he was wrong for having called her out like that, acting like she was a wide open book he could read whenever he felt like it. His interpretation put pressure on her whereas she didn't usually doubt her lover's feelings. There was nothing wrong with doing things out of the ordinary sometimes, and it was her life after all. She considered it to be a closed case and she hoped they would never have to talk about it again.

She remembered the words Nami had said once but she still couldn't understand why it would necessarily be the case, why he would have to be pissed to see her dating somebody else.

_"Jealousy? No way. He was courteous."_

Sure, there had been better times but their friendship wasn't falling down yet, not in her humble opinion; it just found a little turbulence. In any case, it was something she would never replace, not with her connection with Nami, nor with the one she shared with Zoro. She fell asleep with a sorry heart as she recalled the first mishap in the most trustful relationship she ever had.

* * *

**A/N :** Oh, Robin boo boo getting sick T_T


	14. Edge (M)

**Disclaimer : **Featured characters and One Piece belong to Eiichiro Oda

**A/N : **Hello! So last week, I was informed of the Zorobin week happening and 'a somebody' suggested that I do the challenge. I enjoy doing requests but unfortunately, I didn't have the time to think of drabbles or anything so I tried to save my case by incorporating most themes in this chapter (hope it's okay…!)

To the worst creature : Yah, I know… I'm sorry. It clearly was supposed to mark a pause in the story. Maybe you'll find this one similar but it actually has some pieces of foreshadowing. Thank you for your keen eye!

To the anon guest : He doooooooooooo (to the point that I'm currently thinking about twisting the end rn)

Warning : Rating change but the scene doesn't interfere with the rest of the plot and there is a clear rupture. (This is why I'm keeping the T, in the end)

**Chapter 14 : **Edge (M)

* * *

It had become an acute bronchitis.

The doctor had encouraged her to stay in bed for at least ten good days before attending classes again. That idea really unsettled her but she clearly didn't have the choice nor the physical capacity to make a change. She had to spend those first days of December, in pain and bedridden.

Robin had firstly got worried about her presentation with Drake, whom she phoned immediately after her first wave of fever had toned down. Oddly enough, their conversation had been straight to the point. Robin had negotiated several solutions to prevent a failure. Knowing Tsuru, they might possibly schedule their presentation at her place on her better days. And then, he had wished her a good recovery and she had voiced she had been grateful for his comprehension. That was it. A straight to the point conversation delivered in flat and tired tones.

Fortunately, she wasn't left all alone to pray for her health to get better crazily fast with the help of medicine. She had someone who had - whenever it had been possible - looked after her since she had come down with a flu. She knew how to take care of herself but of course, he had been of a great help.

And now, the said person had just joined her with a good cup of citron tea.

"Thank you." Robin smiled as she took the cup in her hands before he went to sit on the ground, next to the window.

She would have never guessed he'd stay around that much close and devote that many efforts to monitor her state. She was on her fifth day of sickness; and Zoro went back to fully attend his academic course on the third one, as advised by his very girlfriend.

With no competition to prepare, he didn't train that long anymore and when he did, it was just outside her place, in the kind of park that was behind her residence. Since he had taken her to the doctor, because of the high fever, then back to her place to let her rest, he had kept sleeping at Robin's. For the past few days, Zoro had been calmer, quieter and less inclined to kidding. She soon realized that it would prevent her from laughing and, thus, coughing harshly and loudly.

Robin pulled down her flu mask and carefully drank a little mouthful of her tea. That one was well done and it was way better than the first - way too sweet - one he had given her four days ago. Besides assigning himself with the great task of providing her the prescribed medicine, he had also tried to feed her "healthy" meals. Big onigiri and unseasoned grilled meat and fish she clearly had no idea of where they came from; not that she was really picky with food to begin with. She certainly would have to meticulously inspect her cooking equipment later.

A giggle escaped from her lips and it was soon replaced by a much louder guttural sound that caught his attention.

Before he could even sit up, she reassured him.

"Sorry, I was just laughing."

He gazed at her with an ingenuous look then shrugged.

"Are you looking out for them?" Robin asked and soon added "Do you still think they shouldn't come?"

Her tone reflected her usual amusement for trivial events.

"Nami is wild and makes a lot of noise. She'll tire you more than anything." Zoro sighed as he turned round to look through the window again.

"I miss them." she uttered as she unconsciously raised both her eyebrows.

He did let out a grunt, but it was too low to be heard by her.

"Ah, they're there." he revealed after a while, and almost immediately crossed eyes with Nami, who had glanced up from where she was. "Tch!"

Zoro stood up and approached Robin. On his way to her bed, he took the piece of black fabric that laid on her bedside table and gently put it back on her right eye. Soon after, he took her now empty cup and kissed her forehead before taking his leave.

She addressed him a thankful smile and adjusted her eye-patch and the white flu mask.

Their love affair was surely a good thing. Not only was he very protective and attentive towards her person. But he also added a huge range of new spices to her life, through the experiences they were meddled with, through the strong visual and vivid memories they had made, through his envelope of mysteries she was still trying to unseal.

She felt safe and watched in his arms at night when he was holding her tightly close to him. Yet she felt in danger whenever they had to run for it, whether it was the pouring rain of a storm in the middle of nowhere or the thought he might be gone too soon because of his recklessness with swords (which she quite didn't understand). The way he treated her made her feel like the most important treasure in this - wishfully his - world. Yet this overwhelming attention let her mind digress to ponder if, indeed, she was maybe too fragile and - ironically - little for him. He sometimes called her 'my Robin' or 'my creepy lady', which were his own attempts to forge her a loving nickname. But sometimes, she just wondered if she wasn't just his woman.

See, Robin often thought over and admired his great sense of control over himself, over the way he lived his life, over the things he coveted and over the things he claimed his. And quite a few times, she had seen him reject things once obtained, even if he might even have strived to acquire them. His impulsively ruling nature and uncontrolled surges of moodiness put pressure on her to make the most of her person for him, to be better involved in their relationship. There hadn't been any mishaps for the moment, Robin didn't do it reluctantly at all and these negative thoughts only seldom occupied her mind. Still, she wanted to be sure she had her own margin of free will and control in this.

For the moment, everything was balanced and it could be objectively said that it was a win-win situation. Robin was learning how to give more of her person to him. And even though, he was, surprisingly, not that good with the sentimental talk, she was also learning how to read and cope with his strong reserve better. Zoro was quite a man of emergency. When he ever felt pushed to make things clear, he would explain himself purely yet sophisticatedly and at length to her, especially in the morning; it turned her on a lot.

* * *

Nami would have literally broken through her room if the door hadn't been open. However, instead of throwing herself onto her friend, she pretty much froze on spot.

"Robin…! You're… glowing!"

Vivi who just appeared behind her, softly slapped her arm.

"Robin… Don't worry. I'm pretty sure you look good." she said in a reassuring tone.

"We can't see your face." the red-haired one sarcastically blurted as she came closer.

The raven-haired woman frantically coughed during a few instants before she found her composure again and cleared her throat.

"How are you two doing?" she uttered in a momentary coarse voice.

A least, Vivi started to feel remorseful as her features betrayed her worry but Nami…

"At least, take the bigger one off."

"Nami, it's viral. I don't think I'm ready to go visit you in a similar state nor I'm willing to see your skin tone turn lime-green."

"I've missed you too."

"I see I've successfully deterred you from hugging me this time." Robin taunted.

Her two dear friends sat at each side of the end of the bed.

"Are you feeling better?" Vivi enquired.

"Yes, I still cough a lot and I feel fatigue at times but things got better." Robin mused.

"I've tried to arrange everything with the teachers and the administration. I don't think there will be any problems once you come back."

"Thank you, Nami."

"And, here!" she cheerfully took out a file of papers that she handed to her black-haired classmate "There's everything we've done for the past week."

"Okay."

"We're saving the chit-chat for later. Are you eating and sleeping well, at least? " Nami asked.

Robin nodded.

"Has you-know-who come to visit you yet?"

Vivi and Robin stared blankly at her, almost in disbelief. The latter forced out a sighed and answered :

"No. But, yesterday, he sent a representative and the orange tulips you see over there, if you really want to know." her hand motioned a vase that was standing on her dressing table.

Nami got up and headed towards the piece of furniture while Vivi turned round to face her :

"Who?"

"Hawkins. We had a lot of fun, actually."

"What did the both of you do?"

"We talked and he read my tarot cards. He said I wasn't going to die now but there was a big period of incertitudes ahead of me." she happily asserted.

A big sweat drop appeared on Vivi's back of the head. "That's not something I would be cheerful about."

"Ooh, there's even the doodle of a dinosaur on it." Nami noted, amused. "Why couldn't he come?" she then asked.

"Hawkins didn't tell me."

"Although you haven't hung around together a lot lately, I thought he would come at least." the red-haired girl said, oblivious to any possible awkward situation between the pair.

"With what Nami told on me on our way here, I thought he'd be here too." Vivi tagged along.

"I don't know. I can't tell." Robin off-topic and absent-mindedly stated.

Nami understood she had a heavy matter to talk about but it wasn't the right time. "Oh well."

As she noticed that Robin had her eye riveted on the corridor, Vivi asked :

"And Zoro? Is he taking good care of you?"

"Hm." Robin more cheerfully nodded.

"What does he even do here?" Nami followed. "It pretty much looks like he's living here."

"He likes to meditate and train shirtless in the copse outside."

"What?!" Nami first yelled. "And you're saying he's taking good care of you?!"

The green-haired man had rushed to the room by the time she finished her question.

"Sssh! Be quiet!"

"You're an idiot! What's the point of leaving her here when she's sick?!"

Zoro's tone eventually came to match hers. "You don't do shit. And stop yelling!"

Vivi gently pushed the bickering pair outside the room and closed the door before going back to her friend's side.

Robin thanked her.

"Do you need anything?"

"No, I don't think so." the raven-haired woman smiled.

"Be careful, Robin. How long does your recovery will take?"

"I think I have less than a week. Now, tell me everything."

Vivi chuckled then narrated all the little adventures Nami had shared with her for the - approximately - past seven days. Makino preparing herself to go abroad for the second semester, the official start of the construction of the playground by the MechaClub, the same association hosting a private Brook concert, Kohza breaking his leg, Nami losing a drinking contest and Kaya getting way too drunk… A lot of things had indeed happened.

While she was in the middle of telling her own stories at work, Nami calmly opened the door and joined them on the bed, adding a cheeky comment from time to time.

"When you get well, we'll have a real girls night out!" Vivi cheerfully promised.

"Yep! We have to."

"All right." Robin contently smiled.

The blue-haired lady sighed and got up. "We'll be leaving now. You have to rest."

Nami soon followed her "See you in a few days." she then added in a whisper "Don't forget to text me!"

"Take care, Robin." Vivi finally said.

"Bye, girls."

* * *

She heard the door close then saw her lover coming in with a glass of water and two pills. As soon as he closed the door behind him, Robin had a coughing fit.

"There."

"Ugh, thank you." Robin managed to make out after gulping down her medicine and the water. "What did you do to make Nami that calm?" she asked with a teasing smile.

"Absolutely nothing." Zoro simply answered. The big round bump on the back of his head was still red after her violent punch.

"I told you it wouldn't be that bad." Robin tried to enunciate between a few coughs.

Zoro quickly accommodated himself on the bed and gently pulled her by the nape of the neck so she could rest her head on his chest.

"Just rest."

It didn't take long for her to give in to the rhythm of his calm breathing mixed with the beating of his heart. The lulling caresses on her hair eventually led her to doze off.

With Robin, it was all about chasing the chance and forcing it. They weren't exactly on the same-wave length but their couple had achieved an intense passion that matched his standards of strong emotions and what not.

Instead of playing a game of clues to let her picture his background, he sometimes really felt like exposing everything he felt towards her, that he considered her to be his fate, that he could just live with her and maybe a pair of fake black-haired twins - a boy and a girl - and their older green-haired male sibling, that he could drop everything if she just snapped her fingers and asked him to do so.

He was well aware that it would be too abrupt. And he was well aware that she didn't see this relationship in the same special lens through which he was living and savoring it. He didn't care or, at least, he didn't want to be constantly reminded of that truth.

But yes, it was all about provoking the events, piercing through the several layers that covered her individuality and her confusing attitude. Even though she had said no to the guilty pleasure that was sex, he still played with her lips, with her whole body, and with the desires, that, he hoped, had kept piling up in her mind. He enjoyed the games of teases, the sweet talk they murmured in each other's ears at random times of the day, the - sometimes raw, sometimes gentle - contests of touching and kissing that progressively took an important place in their affectionate interactions. Considering that it was something he excelled in, he was certainly and exceedingly pleased with that.

Without knowing it, he had been gliding against her body and was just about to take off her mask and kiss her deeply at length, something she had quite forbidden since she had been taken down by her disease.

After a good minute, Robin started whimpering in her weakened voice :

"Sweetheart, you might get sick…"

"I won't and I don't give a damn."

* * *

She had managed to snatch his accord for this particular outing and cheerfully walked with her arm locked with his.

For this late autumn day, she wasn't really dressed accordingly. She was only flaunting off, in fact. The tip of her high heels flapped the time loudly against the ground and her legs were the first - and maybe the only - thing the guards mainly remembered when they arrived at the door. The couple crossed the entrance and arrived in the - pleasantly familiar for him, really odd for her - place known as the MechaClub's base.

"Don't fool around." Drake severely advised.

She giggled and slightly rolled her eyes. "I won't."

He scanned the room, looking for familiar faces. Franky, Brook, Usopp, Hawkins and Paulie were there. Smoker came again too. Drake cracked a smile.

Nami and Kaya were there as well. But there was no sign of Robin. The week had just begun and ten days had passed since the last time he saw her. She was still, apparently, sick. Or at least, she still hadn't showed up, which meant they would probably schedule that presentation for the following week since their teacher would be on a trip. It sucked and didn't suit him at all. During the following week, he had planned to move out too. It was his only chance to do it appropriately before the exams would even start and, above all, before the next three months. But if she was still sick, then so be it.

After she had fallen ill, he hadn't really tried to fix the situation, no matter how sorry he felt at times. Aside from a few encouragements and a flower bouquet, he just remained distant and tried to discard this as something she had already forgiven. Slowly but surely, things would go back to the way they had used to be.

Violet snapped him out of his thoughts.

"I'm going to tell them hi." she greasily said with her finger pointing towards the most crowded table.

As she made her straight way to the said direction, Smoker passed by her. He didn't look right through her; neither did she.

The two friends eventually clasped their hands.

"Hey."

"Nice to see you around here." the red-haired one smiled in response.

"The same. And what is she friggin' doing here?"

Drake forced out a sigh.

"With the picture they all showed me last time, I thought you'd got better tastes but that was a short-lived impression, it seems." the white-haired man fired at him.

"Shut up."

"They're already making long faces over there. Now if you excuse me, this is a smoke-free zone and I ain't got time for that." Smoker said as he hurriedly put two cigars in his mouth and exited the place.

Meanwhile, few meters away from his spot, she finally circled the billiards table with a very sensual way of walking.

"Hey boys~" Violet phonily greeted Hawkins and Usopp.

Yep, they shouldn't have paired up together in their nostalgic association. They just should have blended in the crowd. Thank God, the girls were not that far from them.

While waiting for 'something', Captain Usopp tried to save the day.

"Heeeey Violet! It's been a long time, right?!" Usopp uneasily tried to start a decent conversation with her.

She blankly stared back at him and turned to Hawkins. In the opposite direction, their other friends could read on their faces that this girl, no matter how hot she was, seemed to be the biggest pain in the ass the classmates had ever seen, as if she had a knife hidden in her revealing dress, ready to be dug in one's flesh. They understood very soon it would be better to stay away from the area and leave the high school buddies handle their stuff together. As Paulie tried to lash her out for her outfit, the other boys immediately shushed him. In fact, most of them wore worried but unapologetic pouts as they resumed playing their pool party.

"I see that you're still not that talkative, Hawkins."

Before waiting for response that would certainly never come, Violet smacked her lips and uttered a nonchalant 'whatever'. She then noticed the two young women that stood at their side, especially the one who had come to hold her former long-nosed classmate's hand.

"Oh, are you his girlfriend?" Violet asked, slightly shocked.

"Yes, I'm Kaya, nice to meet you."

"Violet." the dark-haired woman sweetly yet arrogantly smiled. She continued. "And you were with us, right…?"

"Yeah, Nami, by the way."

"And you're going out with Hawkins, no?"

"No, I d-."

"It doesn't matter." Violet coldly smiled.

The dark-haired sultry girl twirled and almost dashed towards 'her Drake' who had finally just reached the billiards table.

"Who is she, Nami?"

"His ex. We all attended high school together." Nami sighed.

"And did you know her?"

"Only by name and I'm glad." she first stated. "For the record, they were one pretty popular hot couple that lasted much but she vanished, like, two years ago. Nobody understood and all eyes were turned to Drake."

"Oh…" Kaya politely uttered to let her friend know she was attentively following her story.

"Yeah, and he just kept on practicing late at school. One miraculous day, Robin pops out of nowhere at his side. People pointed out they had dark hair, good looks, good dancing skills. Rumors started like this and tadam!"

"So that was why you liked to tease her about him, right?"

Nami nostalgically grinned "Yeah, but she's really over it."

"And, Violet… Was she well surrounded?"

"She was a loner." Nami flatly stated. "I thought that she and Robin would know each other because they were in the same kind of dance projects, but it doesn't seem to be the case."

As soon as she finished her sentence, her phone vibrated between her and her blonde friend's flanks.

She took it out and read the text message she had just received.

"Talk of the devil! A Robin update!"

"Gossiping really seems to be your thing, Nami." Kaya giggled.

"It surely is~ Look."

Immersed in their little business, they were oblivious to their surroundings. The two girls failed to notice him eavesdropping on their conversation as he walked by to hit a ball that was reachable from where they were.

The message she showed her ('Five-star cooking') had a picture attached, in which Robin was smilingly eating a toasted marshmallow on a stick. She was very warmly dressed in a dark purple winter jacket and a black scarf. She still had a blush that adorned the middle of her face and that her hair, tightly wrapped in a ponytail, couldn't hide.

Kaya chuckled at the whole thing. "That's nice. She looks well again."

Nami laughed. "They're so silly…!" she then sighed, still really enjoying her picture "They're weird, cute but weird."

"Whom is she with?"

"Zoro. They've gone in the Upper Yard woods since morning."

Maybe this revelation made Drake lose his shot. Maybe it made him clench the cue stick. Maybe it was what made him bite his cheek. He silently went to lean on another pool table located opposite his two classmates.

"You don't have to sulk that much for a missed shot, Drake! You've almost won!" Franky joked.

No vocal response, just a grimace that showed he was very pensive as he made his cue stick frantically spin between his fingers.

* * *

Back to the two gossiping friends who were now done pointing futile details out of their friend's picture.

"Oh, I know." Nami uttered before typing a message to their dear raven-haired friend, that she knew she was still anticipating her answer.

_[Nami to Robin : Kaya and I are having a good laugh! By the way, Drake's girlfriend has showed up. Violet. Does it ring you a bell?]_

_[Robin to Nami : A little. How is she?]_

The two friends could picture their dear Robin's face trying to reminisce who that (rude) girl was. They could also picture how she would look and how she would scold them if Nami simply replied what they were both thinking at the moment : _"She's a bitch."_

Nami eventually sent a more 'polite' response while Kaya was repeatedly and shyly nodding at the same time.

_[Nami to Robin : Thirsty.]_

The red-haired girl put her phone back in her bag, just in case. She then turned to Kaya and pulled her a little afar from the pool table area.

"How are things with Usopp?"

"Good! He's really cute and funny, you know?"

"Don't tell me you're doing weird things too."

"No, we just watch movies in his atelier and, well…" Kaya tried to make out while strongly blushing.

"Okay, I get the picture. Don't get into details, please."

"Nami, maybe you should find someone to be romantically involved with." Kaya suggested after a short pause.

"Like all of you?"

"Yes, it will do you good." the blonde girl giggled then sighed.

"On the long or short term?"

"Whatever floats your boat, Nami."

When she turned her face to gaze at another side of the room, she caught her classmate's persistently looking eyes and she smiled back.

She lowered her sight and tried to suppress the grin and red tint that were now appearing on her face. "Maybe, you're right…"

Kaya relievedly smiled at her statement.

* * *

To end their pretty rustic date, Zoro took her to a tavern which he used to visit often for its cheap but good alcohol. Time flew and they both decided to head home by taxi. Neither of them could really cross the whole town by walking or take the bus without making a connection at least three times. Not in that state.

The ride was silent and a good gap separated them. They still maintained an intense eye contact, addressing each other seemingly questioning glances from time to time. Robin was, somehow, successively nibbling the tips of her fingers, betraying a really anxious state that definitely wasn't typical of her.

Zoro eventually reached her hand and held it tightly in an attempt to calm her or reassure her that whatever was going on in her mind, it would be all right. Her frantic movements stopped and she gazed back at their locked hands. Still in silence, she made her fingers move to let them entangle his.

When she looked up to see him, Zoro could clearly notice how agitated and irregular her breathing was. Her aquaramine eye was idly fixed on his face and it was sheening in a way he had never seen before. At first, he thought she was on the verge of feeling faint. He called her name and she purred a smooth 'yes?' in response that reassured him. Zoro then just let himself bend over her in order to peck her lips and she welcomed him very eagerly.

Their mouths only slightly parted and he breathed out a sigh as he looked directly in her eye. In that short span, her breathing had accelerated and she was now grinning.

Couldn't they arrive already?

Zoro's vision eventually shifted to aggressively look in the driver's prying eyes through the rear-view mirror, which made him accelerate the speed of the vehicle.

Zoro turned round to face Robin again and leaned in her ear.

"What are you thinking of?" he whispered.

"A lot of things, sweetheart." she responded, in a melodious murmur.

"Tell me. What are they?"

"_Fufufu_, not now."

Those were the only words they exchanged.

When they finally made it to Robin's residence, everything happened in a rush. Zoro basically threw cash in the window of the car. They got into the elevator in an unbelievable speed. The trip to the fourth floor happened in a flash of light and so did the one they made to safely end up on her bed.

It started with her on top of Zoro, giving him light kisses all over the left side of his face, while he was enthusiastically taking off her scarf and her jacket. His soon followed to join and was thrown on the floor. Their lips then fused in a very long passionate kiss that lasted several minutes in between hard panting and low humming moans. Robin eventually broke it and finally spoke :

"Do me."

His body tensed up and froze, out of shock. Everything had gone so rapidly, he definitely had a hard time processing his thoughts because of the side effects of alcohol and the current excitation. He even doubted that the right information had reached his gray matter.

_"Wh-what? What did she just say?"_

After all, they were used to that chaste foreplay; with Robin stopping whenever she had enough or Zoro halting whenever he said it was better to stop at that point. But that night was going to be different; she let him know it was going to be different.

As if her words didn't hit him enough, she let her hands slide under the zipper of his trousers to get more explicit with her demand.

"Make love to me, Zoro." Robin shyly smiled.

* * *

**A/N : WELL! Dear T-rated fic readers, it's time to wish you a good day/night and I say see you next week! **

**I'm a tired child. So please help a tired child and leave reviews~ It really motivates me to write or… maybe you want me to stop and get out…**

**Now….**

* * *

Zoro was startled and so taken aback that he momentarily grasped her forearms to avoid a would-be bad decision on her part.

He sat up and she placed her now free hands on both sides of his jaw. They proceeded to really slowly descend and even began unbuttoning his cardigan, sometimes applying a little pressure on his torso.

Zoro's sight didn't leave her face at any given moment. He had to bite his lower lip hard to suppress an excruciating desire to just pin her down and have her raw and rough, right now.

She made that first piece of clothing glide down his arms, still at a slow speed, before taking his tee off by wrapping it up over his head, from all the way down.

She quietly caressed his naked upper body with her left hand while her right hand made its way down on him.

"Robin… Are you sure?" Zoro soughed as he felt his groin twitching under the strokes she had just started.

She gave him a shuddering chaste kiss in response and he realized the reason of her anxiety.

Finally, it was his turn to even the score.

Zoro carefully placed her down and proceeded to get rid of her sweater and the tank top that was underneath. Her jeans were taken off as gently, but thrown away as eagerly as the other pieces of clothing.

When it came to get rid of her black underwear, Zoro tried to make it as relaxing yet exciting for her. While he was unclasping the hooks of her bra, his mouth was leaving kisses ordered in a straight line, right over the one that parted her abdomen. For the removal of her lacy boxer shorts, Zoro decided to let his lips brush against hers while she was murmuring that she needed him.

As he admired her naked beauty, his senses raved about what he would do to her. He tried to draw himself a better picture as his strong hands reached for her neck and started to sculpt her silhouette.

For Robin, it felt already incredible. She was uncontrollably gulping small amounts of saliva whenever she felt Zoro's hands softly and simultaneously brushing against one or two random spots on her skin.

After a while, he leaned over her and caught her lips in a pressing nibble.

"If you ever feel like stopping, just tell me." Zoro whispered before straining up and pulling her just below the pillows, pretty much at the center of her bed.

Zoro then lowered his head to reach the level of her womanhood. He suddenly parted her thighs and strongly wrapped one of his arms around her tummy, absolutely blocking her from moving her hips.

Zoro brought his mouth closer to her crotch and firstly licked the inner lips all the way up. He repeated the gesture in a progressively faster frequency before he started to devote his attention to her inflated pink button.

Right before that, Robin felt detached from the current reality. It seemed like she was hallucinating and that everything was surreal. She kind of regretted the fact she had barred herself from enjoying the pleasure that made her shake so randomly at that very moment. She felt compelled to check if she was still around him, still with him. Her hand either got lost in her own black hair, either it tried to scrape the skin of the loving arms that retained her captive.

As her pleading moans got louder and louder, Zoro started to diversify his ministrations, sometimes applying a gentle suction on her now wet sex, sometimes just licking it in a circular move.

It didn't take a lot of time for Robin to reach her first climax. She just felt like breathing hard, her mind went numb and blank for a mere instant. An almost pain-inducing sensation rocked her inside and the shivers that went down her spine made her arch her back. Robin unconsciously began to grasp her own flesh violently as she yelped then sighed, and yelped again and sighed.

* * *

After she calmed down a bit and lay down again, Zoro made his way up her torso in a wide wet trail traced with his hot tongue and her juices. Out of a whim, he came to a halt at the level of her chest. His hands then massaged the breasts he had somehow neglected since the beginning of their hot and steamy night. It wasn't because he had already seen them in the past that he should forget about them, he thought. His mouth and tongue soon gobbled the left one as he kept tickling the other one with a couple of fingers.

He couldn't help but smirk when he realized that Robin was grinding against him as she kept her left eye tightly closed. She voiced both moans and little grunts that sounded marvelous to his ears and most of the time, he sighed and groaned in response. When their sexes finally touched each other out of the blue, their respective moans echoed in the room.

He couldn't hold it anymore. He just left an airy kiss at the base of her right hard nipple and hurriedly went to kiss her deeply, letting his hands wander all over her thighs, her flanks, her arms, her back, her shoulders... She responded in a savage and hungry manner, letting her tongue ram into his mouth.

While they were immersed in their lengthy making out, Zoro reached for the first drawer of her night table where he had already hidden a few packs of condoms, for this kind of occasions; she was aware of it. He then softly placed her arms and hands above her head.

The condom once put, he bent over again and joined both of her hands with one of his, using it as a lock on her two thumbs. His other hand was making the last adjustments for the first penetration. He looked at her face one last time, maybe looking for a last-minute refusal that would surely make him jump out of the window.

Her neck was throbbing because of her rapid breathing. Her lips were slightly parted in a coquettish smile. The crimson tint she wore over her cheeks was scandalous and so was the look in the eye she was addressing him. The azure color of her iris glowed and waved in a daze. Sweat had already started to glisten her skin and a few strands of her black hair was stuck on her temple and her forehead. She looked incredibly desirable, gorgeous and perfect.

And as far as she was concerned, he was in a similar state as well.

"Do it. Take me, Zoro." Robin proposed, more like a challenge than anything.

He started to stroke the palm of her hands to tranquilize her as much as possible. He still could sense that she was a little stiffer than usual. Zoro then inserted his erected length inside her very slowly. With a quicker but still tardy movement, he pulled it a little back and gently thrusted inside her again.

It took him too many efforts not to swear at the sensation that enveloped his member and the different nervous messages that emanated from it. After all that time he had to be satisfied with jacking off, this felt amazing; she felt amazing. The feeling still hadn't left him and one loud grunt escaped from his throat.

Zoro's breathing was still too ragged from this pleasurable shock he had just received. When he glanced down on her lover, he noticed how her single eye was watery and that she was trying to stop furrowing her eyebrows.

"Simply move until you get comfortable." he whispered in her ear.

He waited for a nod to lift away his face from her shoulder. And he waited for another one to resume penetrating her.

* * *

The pain she had first sensed gave way to a rhythmic pleasure which sparked between her legs and roamed all over her body. Her skin felt hot and cold at the same time, her hair stood on its end, the drops of sweat - his and hers - slightly ran down on her. She was giving in to his back and forth ramming inside her. She was also enjoying the accidental light frictions that sometimes happened between her clitoris and his hard member. Her hands shortly started caressing his buff thorax before descending in order to finally rest on the small of his back.

As Robin's moans started to increase in frequency and in volume too, Zoro felt himself getting even more into it again. He left his strained up position to come down again on her and stare better at the wonder that was her lovemaking face.

"Robin…" Zoro moaned.

He shushed her whimpers with a smack she had a hard time corresponding, being unable to focus properly on her emotions.

"Zoro… I-I… I love you!" she eventually made out the words that stopped him in his tracks and made him lightly quiver.

He pulled back his member entirely and Robin whined in response :

"Is it…?" she shyly asked.

Zoro chuckled. "I want you to ride me, my Robin."

He helped her sit up and invited her to straddle him with a joke she would have rather not heard at all :

"Come queen! Sit on your throne."

She was just flustered and so embarrassed that he had to sit up and pull her closer to him.

"What's wrong?" he laughed

"You're an idiot." she mumbled as she hid and planted a kiss in the crook of his neck, with her hands wrapped around his neck.

Zoro lay down on his back again and entered his erected penis into her wet core on again. He let a pause pass, that helped the two of them settle things that ran across their mind.

"And now?" Robin enquired.

"Do as you feel like."

"All right." she purred in her sexy husky voice.

* * *

At first, her hesitation leaked through her clumsy rate of bucking as well as her unsure grinding. On the spur of the moment, Zoro even offered her physical support with his arms as he suggested she intertwined her hands with his. Fortunately, Robin very quicly found a set of moves that suited her just fine.

Not too slow, not too fast.

That time, her moans got louder pretty quickly and she got more vocal about the unexplainable pleasure she was experiencing too. The whole situation was even more titillating for Zoro that he wanted to hear her voice again and again, moaning, soughing, screaming, speaking, yelping and what not.

"How do you want it now?" he uttered in a low moan.

"Just deeper!" Robin impulsively blurted.

Zoro started to buck vehemently as ordered, matching her pace and incrementing their fusion. He could see she was losing control as her tics started to show. They betrayed a focus she had a hard time leaving on herself, her everything. Her hands also let go of his, sometimes going up in order to shyly stroke the base of her neck.

When he felt her legs flag, Zoro decided to pull her down on him again. They resumed their immersion in a long, sweet, passionate and hungry session of kissing that was sometimes interrupted by one of her suggestive remark or one of his grunts. The most of what they could make was a series of slow nibbles on each other's lips that concluded in smacking sounds, which also blended well with their own voices and the noises their colliding skins and intimacies made.

Suddenly, her grip around his arm tightened violently and Robin dug her nails in his skin. Her thighs shook and flagged violently on his. The raven-haired woman started to feel a wave of spasms taking over her. She shot her head up and emitted a very loud guttural scream that echoed through the bedroom. This orgasm was less violent but sweeter and as good as the first one that had possessed her. She wanted this one to last more and more and even felt like… laughing?

Before the sight that had just happened in front of him, Zoro instinctively released, deeply roaring in her ear with ecstasy. Her walls had been tightening for a while and even himself couldn't quite control the shallow breaths and the seizing shudders that had taken control of him.

As soon as she collapsed onto him, he hurriedly got rid of the used piece of latex and carefully wrapped their agitated bodies in her sheets.

Without a word, only a reciprocal sighing smile, the lovers fell asleep peacefully in one another's arms.


	15. One on One

**Disclaimer : **Featured characters and One Piece belong to Eiichiro Oda.

**A/N :** Huhu…huhuhuhu! Those compliments…! Oh, right, I can't explode yet. It's not finished.

To the worst creature : Aaah! My red eyes are burning! Please stawp! Anyway, I'm sorry I can't update quicker because of work. Even though I have everything planned out really soon, I can only write on Sunday mornings for the moment…

To Tofu : I hope things will go your way and that soon you'll be able to leave more reviews (nhahaha)! I'm hungry for reviews because of the feedback so thank you~

Oh, thank you~ thank you~ thank you reviewers~~~

Warning : Silly ideas near the end of the chapter.

**Chapter 15 : **One on One

* * *

He needed explanations. He needed to know why, after all this time and meticulousness on her part _especially_, she was suddenly treating this matter so trivially. If she wanted to push the date of their presentation just to go on a date with her boy thing, she could have said it in the first place. She didn't have to hide it like this, to him. Not that he would have accepted it either way.

Sitting with a firm stance and a very severe expression, Drake had been twisting and untwisting a random piece of metal in his right hand while munching fiercely a piece of bread. After several minutes of the same thoughts of annoyance going back and forth in his mind, he angrily took his phone and dialed her number.

Eight in the morning had just rung so he supposed she _would_ have woken up. Judging by Nami's words, it didn't sound like she was sick anymore so she _should_ have taken back her early riser's habits, _huh_. At worst, he'll see her in the afternoon now that she was ready to attend classes again.

When the tone of the phone beeped, his distressful movements ceased and his expression darkened. He leaned on the table, anticipating her response and building up even more exasperation.

* * *

Meanwhile, their afterglow of love was indeed disturbed by her cell phone ringing loudly in her jacket.

Zoro, who had been wide awake for a good time, took his arm off her side and went to reach for the piece of clothing. Surprisingly, Robin was the one getting woken up by her bossa nova ringtone. She started to rub her eyes very slowly as he picked up the device to turn it off… But his fingers slipped on the answer button.

* * *

_"Oops." a low masculine voice blurted in the receiver._

_"Hm?" a still sleepy feminine voice hummed at his side._

_"Wrong button."_

A click then a series of beeps followed, letting Drake know that the conversation had already ended.

It made him fume.

* * *

"Who was it?" Robin asked as she rubbed the back of her neck.

"Drake." Zoro paused, spun round to look at her and added "Did you want to answer the call?"

She shook her head and began stretching out gracefully before him.

After she stopped moving, the two stared at each other's eye for a long while. The bedroom was immersed in a peaceful quietness. Their breathings marked the time of their own score and it was sometimes perturbed by the little ruffling sound Zoro's fingers made whenever they stroked her hair.

When he finally leaned closer to her to kiss her, Robin evaded it and went on top of Zoro to straddle him. She maintained her face really close to his, making their foreheads almost press against one another. He began caressing the back of her thighs and she began stroking the sides of his neck with her thumbs.

"Do you have any puzzling questions this morning?" Zoro sneered.

"No…" she idly whispered.

"All right."

He noticed she wasn't looking at his eye anymore, hers was absorbedly surveying the features of his face. She chuckled when he attempted to soften them for her.

"Not too sore?" he eventually asked, genuinely out of concern.

"No, not at all." Robin answered in another murmur.

She purred a thank you which only led him to squeeze her thighs and push her more towards him. They melted in a kiss that lasted until they had to gasp for air. Robin and Zoro then paused for a short interlude to catch their breath before fusing their lips again in a more messy manner. In between the series of contacts, Robin sighed a silent 'I love you' on his lips; and Zoro felt it, he might have even sworn on that.

Their hands soon helped deepen their affectionate interactions. Both knew they were up for a second time until her stomach suddenly grumbled and his grumbled even louder right after.

Zoro dropped everything and just looked flustered under her gaze. Robin first giggled then fell on her back, letting out a cheerful sigh.

The black-haired woman got up and started to look for clothes to put on her naked self, turning her back to him.

Robin quickly picked his gray tee and wore it. She tried to lengthen it so it could reach her mid-thigh. In the midst of her little struggle, she enquired :

"What do you want to eat, sweetheart?"

Zoro sat up and gazed at her. "You."

Even though she only glanced over shoulder, Zoro could notice she was blushing furiously.

He smirked. "I'm joking. Whatever you'll be having."

Robin faced front again, arranged her hair and asked :

"Tea, pancakes and blackberries, then?"

Her eye was again scanning for another - more convenient - piece of clothing.

"Ok."

"Are you lending me a hand?" Robin enquired as she started buttoning the longer dark green cardigan she had just taken off the floor.

Due to his lack of vocal response, she had to whirl around to catch his then dazed eye. Zoro looked up after her sudden movement. At last, he nodded to whatever she had just said.

* * *

When Robin was about to whisk the batter, Zoro came to wrap his arms around her waist and he whispered in her ear :

"I'm not doing it, this time?"

She shot him a surprised look. "Are you done with the fruits already?"

"Yep."

She removed her hands from the bowl and the whip. "Then do as you wish, my dear."

He started to whisk the dough really fast, maybe too much fast.

"_Fufufu_, Zoro, don't stain this, I want to wear it later."

"And what am I supposed to wear today?"

"I have a couple of appropriate replacements in my wardrobe."

He stopped whisking. "The sweaters I've 'lost'?"

"If you're insinuating that I stole them, you're wrong." Robin then turned to him and brushed her finger against his nose, "You're the one who forgot them here." she gently scolded.

"Ah."

Zoro resumed his actions.

A minute had merely passed and he was done.

"You're really in a hurry."

He quickly turned on the stove and reached for the small frying pan she had prepared. "I'm really hungry."

"I'm surprised you learned how to use it."

He flashed her a silly grin which made Robin laugh.

As she was flipping her second pancake, Zoro initiated another conversation :

"So, you're resuming classes today?"

Robin nodded. "I don't feel that sick. I don't see why I shouldn't come back." she then smiled.

"Your voice is still weird, kind of."

"My nose is just a little stuffed." she stated and shortly added as she handed over a plate, "There."

"Thanks."

Zoro poured maple syrup on his pile then sliced the bunch very quickly. "10:30 as well?" he asked as he was about to munch his first bite.

"I only have classes in the afternoon but I can accompany you, I guess." she mused.

"Hm! I wish so!" he jested while repeatedly nodding his head to which Robin smiled.

Once it was over, Robin sat on the counter and she started picking and eating blackberries, one at a time. She invited him to have a bite and he gladly joined her soon after. They spent their breakfast feeding each other bites of pancakes or fruits or both in the middle of remarks, laughters and little smooches.

Robin finally put her empty tea cup on the counter and was about to get down when Zoro blocked her way.

"Where are you going?"

"To the shower."

"Why don't we finish what we started this morning?" he teased.

"Quickly then." Robin purred in response, leaning closer to him.

"It's not like we're going to be late."

"_Fufufu_, I know, Zoro."

* * *

It must have been by chance, but Drake found her sitting with Makino in the cafeteria at least twenty good minutes before the start of the upcoming class. He had obviously recognized their friend's dark green hair but was even more eager to see Robin's backpack at her feet and the back of her silhouette.

He almost burst in front of them and invited himself to their table, only looking at Makino at that very moment.

"Hey! Could I just speak to her really briefly?" Drake still politely gestured towards their raven-haired friend, who could only look very surprised.

"Yes, I was about to leave." she smiled at Robin then took her belongings. "See you around then!"

Drake took her seat. Now all he had to do was telling her how it was messed up on her part. But when he finally looked up to see her, he just couldn't find a way to yell at her, scold her or even use sign language in an aggressive manner.

Robin, who was watching Makino leaving, had her hair slightly messy, a light blush adorning her skin, inflated purplish red lips and her eye looked a little drab, making her look daydreaming, or at least, a little unfocused. The cardigan, that covered her white embossed tank top, had fallen off her shoulder and this sloppiness made her even more charming to him. It was the kind of sight he'd wake up to that morning and admire the rest of the day.

She turned to him and purred with an almost sighing smile :

"Long time no see."

It sounded so… enticing and so wrong?! What was he thinking about?_ "Get a grip, I'm supposed t-"_

"I'm sorry, I tried to call you this morning but you wouldn't pick up the line."

Drake cleared his throat. "I don't have a phone anymore." he attempted to coldly say.

It had 'accidentally' ended thrown against the wall.

Robin blinked but soon asserted. "Professor Tsuru gave me the green light for a videocall this Friday."

He couldn't hide his pleasantly surprised awe.

"We talked about it at the very beginning but I didn't know exactly when I would have cured. She also told me she might go on holidays right after her conference. I got the confirmation two days ago but I was waiting to meet you in person to inform you about that." Robin said.

As she kept on explaining the new plans, Drake was nodding and he soon found himself adjusting the loosened sleeve of her cardigan.

Robin paused.

"Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt you." he blurted.

"It's fine." she smiled before continuing "Anyway, everything is set up in the C25 room. I'll let her know it's ok for us, right?"

"Ah, yeah!" Drake answered a little troubled, as if caught red handed staring at her.

Even though her mind seemed to be a little elsewhere, she had never seemed so happy. She wore a similar smile to the one she had whenever she was going to be _very_ talkative. If Nami wouldn't monopolize her later, he wouldn't mind sitting next to her and catching up on a lot of things with her, he wouldn't mind at all.

"How have you been?" Drake asked.

"Down with a bronchitis and you?"

"Pretty good."

"Shall we go?" she suggested with a bright expression on her face.

"Yes, go ahead, Robin."

"Thank you."

"Hawkins told me about his prediction, I hope the flowers cheered you up a little bit." Drake said as they started walking.

"_Fufufu_, it wasn't that bad but yes, thank you."

"I'm not really into botanics but the florist told me their unusual sweet smell and spring freshness characterized their species. Although he might have imported them."

"That's too bad, I couldn't smell anything. Would you mind giving me the address so I may buy a few bulbs for next time?"

"Are you into flowers that much?"

"I used to take care of Professor Clover's and Maria's flower garden. I want to grow mine starting next spring!" she revealed.

"I see. No problem, Robin."

* * *

As they were on the verge of reaching the second floor, they met Nami who recognized her dear friend's voice and she turned round.

"Ah! Good thing you're here!"

She waited for them to leave the stairs before jumping on Robin then greeting Drake as well with a pleased smile.

"Important news! There is a party on Friday night!" Nami announced.

The red-haired spunky lady placed both of her hands on Robin's shoulders and declared :

"Excellent DJ set, free drinks for the ladies and the after-party is taking place on the second floor!"

"Oh, are you talking about the end-of-year party the MechaClub host each year?" Drake butted in.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, "But more importantly, why are you smiling like that, Robin?"

"Who knows." the raven-haired beauty uttered to disconcert her.

"Is she under cortisone?" Nami asked, addressing herself to Drake, who just lightly shrugged and started heading towards their classroom.

"Pick me a seat next to yours please, Drake." Robin gently requested.

Drake lifted his thumb up and eventually turned his back to them.

"Now, now, Robin." Nami began, cupping her cheeks so she would look at her directly in the eye, "What is going on?"

"_Fufufu_, you won't leave me until you learn what you want to know. You may go ahead with the questions, Nami." she purred.

"Is it about him?" Nami enquired while tilting her head towards the direction the red-haired guy had just followed.

"No, forget it."

"But what's with the attitude? Did you get a rabbit? Or a cat? Or a mix of both?"

Robin laughed at her childish antics.

"Is it a new flat or a new car? Did you win the lottery? Or… Maybe… It starts with a 'Z' and ends with a 'o'… Zero?!"

"Nami!"

"What did he do now?"

"Aren't you trying to guess anymore?" Robin teased.

"Tch! Did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"I don't know, actually!" Nami groaned, "Have you made love yet?" she idly asked, not really expecting a positive answer after all the negative ones she had got since the beginning.

"Well, that was quicker than expected."

Nami finally let go of her face just to bring her hands to hers, in a desperate attempt to hush the loud gasp that escaped from her mouth.

"That's my girl! Robin!" Nami screamed as she lifted and shook their locked hands in the air.

"_Fufufu_, Nami, don't get silly about it." the black-haired woman purred.

"Now that I think about it, you're flaunting the 'lad magazine effect' as Nojiko coined it. How was it?"

Robin grinned.

"Vivi flashed something akin once but yours is more telling and doesn't look that foolish."

"Thank you, if I may say so." Robin stated.

"Are you bringing him with you on Friday?"

"I don't know… He has a small qualification match this week-end. I thought I could go support him as well."

Nami frowned. "Huh? Where does it take place?"

"On another island, we'll have to go by sea train."

"Ugh! Can't you miss it once?" her friend whined.

"Nami…"

"Didn't Vivi and I promise that we have a girls night out once you're well again?" Nami complained.

The raven-haired wore an apologetic façade.

"Come on, Robin. He had you for him alone for ten good days!"

"Much more if you count all the hours I've spent with him." she taunted back.

"Okay, I'll treat you to today's dinner." the red-haired girl reluctantly proposed.

"Pasta then."

"You were acting again?!"

"_Fufufu_, let's say I was enjoying the situation. The party will be a relaxing thing after our presentation."

"Hmpf. Whatever, but you better tell me a lot of things tonight."

"Understood, miss." Robin gently smiled.

* * *

Friday night came and so did the anticipated event that had the whole university buzzing about what to wear, when to come and who to impress _(id est _to hook up with).

The spotlights raged over the dark room and people were pressed onto the dance floor, dancing eagerly to the loud beats of the bombastic electro music playing.

He was calmly scanning through the crowd, drinking his whisky cocktail and sharing a few words with Makino from time to time.

After a while, Franky approached them with a big bottle of cola in his hand. To his surprise, he wore a black suit. With a hawaiian shirt granted, but it was still a suit. On the contrary, he didn't go to that extent. He just wore a classic pale blue shirt with an eyelet collar as well as regular navy trousers.

"Ow! We changed things this year, to make it look more SUUUUPEERRR impressive. How is it?"

"That's true, Franky. It really looks amazing this year." Makino congratulated him before being called by a few students at the other end of the counter.

"Just like a club. You guys are really handy with that stuff." Drake asserted, impressed.

"Ah! Tell me about it! So where's the mankiller?" the blue-haired man asked, referring himself to Violet.

Drake snickered. "Obviously not here. She has to sponsor an event for her company."

"Haha… Ah…" Franky sighed and added, "How are things with her?"

"Are you genuinely curious?"

"Well, yeah, why not?" Franky blurted.

"There's nothing in our relationship to be spazzing about."

"Everybody could tell." his friend jested.

Franky caught sight of the direction of his glance and recognized the bunch of familiar faces and hair he was looking at. He waited for a while before inquisitively asking :

"And how are things with the pretty one in the vine leather dress you've been having in focus? She looks SUUUUPPPPERRR great tonight, huh?!"

Drake almost spit his drink and had to whirl around to reach for a napkin to wipe his mouth.

"For a moment, I thought you had fixed your eye on the one with blue hair but it seems I hit it right on the first try." Franky laughed.

Drake cocked an eyebrow. "She's with someone now."

"Really?! Who?"

"Zoro, green hair, three swords, golden earrings, aggressive look." Drake listed.

"Oh, that one. Well, shit."

Drake snickered again which brought Franky to fire him another question :

"And is she really with the Zoro guy or is she just seeing him?"

"Very funny."

"Bah, you don't seem to let her go. With that tight bond of yours, she's maybe in the same situation." Franky remarked.

"Tsk. Not at all." Drake slowly uttered

He could sense that his red-haired friend wasn't done yet with his musing so he waited.

"He's just… that I'm scared for her sometimes." Drake eventually revealed.

* * *

"All right, dear party people!" Franky shouted, "Come around here, in circle. It's time for our SUUUUPEEEERRR 'Truth or Dare' game."

Franky gathered all the new faces that had stayed for this after-party at two in the morning. He prepared himself a platform very quickly and started explaining the rules of their trademark game.

"Bakaburg usually supervise this but he drank too much so, sorry!" he first stated, "Ow! All right, all the guys sit on my left and the girls on my right."

"Hawkins, you're not coming?" Drake discreetly asked his friend

"No, thank you. I sense tension."

"Oh, well." he turned to another one, "Then Brook?"

"Wait a minute!" Nami interjected, "Is he even in first year?"

"Yohohoho! Of course, I am. Why? Do I look too old for you?" the interested one cheerfully said.

Nami grimaced. "Never mind."

He put his hand on her shoulder. "Wait, Nami-san… Could I have a look at your panties?"

"Go away!"

And she sent him flying.

Few meters away, tipsy Robin gently pulled Law's arm. He was wincing at the red-haired's outburst.

"It's not like I'm supposed to remain here, anyway."

"You've already told me you'd come. Now keep your word." she scolded, "You have one chance out of four to fall on her. Or at worst, choose truth."

"I know that already!" he rebuked and she giggled.

Vivi, Kaya and Usopp soon joined the circle while Brook was dragging his feet in pain to finally take his place.

"Has everyone found their spot yet? All right, okay! SUUUPEERRR! The independent party we called for this year's edition is… Smoookerrrr!"

Usopp facepalmed and Drake mumbled a swear while the other contestants just idly nodded their heads. Hawkins was chuckling at the whole thing in the background.

The grumpy white-haired guy appeared and just gestured a lazy greeting with his hand. His close high school friends knew that it wasn't likely to end well.

"So, to make things short, the bottle is spun and stops on someone. Smoker asks 'Truth or dare?'. If it's truth, the person answers a simple question but if it's dare, the bottle has to be spun one more time and the one the bottle would point to will have to join the dare." Franky explained.

"And as you may have guessed, I'm the one suggesting everything." Smoker scoffed with one cigar in his mouth.

"Ow! Right, he is! Now, if one of you refuse to cooperate… We have ten shots of pure rum and vodka waiting for you on a plate. Understood?!"

Robin was the only one who didn't have her face darkened by a gloomy expression.

"START! Law, spin the bottle." Franky finally shouted.

It ended on him and he didn't think twice.

"Good. Truth." he bluntly uttered.

Smoker rubbed his jaw for a while. "Among the people that are here, who would you spend the night with?"

His answer came pretty fast. "Nami _ya_ or Robin _ya_ since they're the ones I'm closest with."

"Fine, spin the bottle again." Smoker spat.

The red stopper of the bottle was directed towards Vivi this time.

She gulped and softly clenched her dress before asking for a dare. Smoker smirked and waited for the bottle to stop on the victim, Brook.

"Ha! Give him a piggyback ride and do twenty squats."

"Excuse me?!" Vivi gasped.

"You heard me good."

"Don't worry, Vivi-san, I'm not that heavy, yohohoho!"

He might not have been that heavy as Vivi could check. She still was ready to fall on the floor, because of the alcohol stirring inside her.

"All right, next!"

Successively, Usopp had to lift Nami bridal style and run across the room, Kaya revealed she was most envious of Robin's long legs and intelligence, Nami had to do a headstand and recite the names of the thirty most important cities of the world while Drake held her ankles (and blocked her dress from falling with his teeth).

After Nami made the bottle twirl, red from head to toe, it eventually halted on Robin who requested a dare. The piece of glass rotated again and showed Drake.

Smoker took a little more time to express his demand as he glanced a few times at his red-haired friend whose nervousness started to show. He hadn't forgot the prank yet.

"Sit on his lap and play an alphabet game."

Drake quietly sighed out of relief as he sat at the center of the circle waiting for Robin to take her place. But when she was about to simply sit on his lap, showing her profile to the red-haired guy, Smoker called out to her and Drake jerked his head as well as his torso towards him.

"No, no, no. The other way round, you have to face him, completely." Smoker corrected her, "Straddle him or kneel on him and crush his thighs as you do so, I don't care."

"You're quite demanding." Robin taunted.

"And so are the ten shots for your liver. Now milady, do it for the damn love of God." Smoker ordered after puffing smoke.

"Roger."

She positioned herself over him, making sure to not press her weight too much against his thighs and that the flounces of her dress stayed put.

"Good evening." she idly smiled.

"We meet again." Drake joked, a little uneasy. _"Here we go again."_

Robin waited for Smoker's signal then turned her face to look at her red-haired friend in the eyes. The game started and Robin began. It progressively turned into an almost telepathic communication between the two of them and both soon gave in to the fun, the easiness and the daring attitude that they were immersed into.

"Apricot."

_As a warm-up._

"Balls."

_This surely could be misinterpreted._

"Confused?"

_For his choice of word._

"Drake."

_To clarify the situation._

She chuckled.

"Excellent."

_His choice, indeed._

"Fantastic."

_Even._

...

"Poneglyph."

_What she was most interested in, after all._

"Quality?"

_To change the theme yet again._

She pointed towards herself.

"Robin?"

_If that was what he was looking for, fufufu._

"Sexy."

_As a joking tease._

She chortled, hiding her laughter with her hands. When it finally faded, she strained herself up, placed her left arm over his shoulder and brushed his strong jaw with an elegant gesture of her right hand, pulling his face slightly.

"Tempting."

_For the payback._

She giggled again.

Vivi was in a great shocked awe. Kaya discreetly uttered an 'Oh my gosh', Smoker was approving the action while the other boys were cheering loudly for the same disclosed - and stupid - reason. Brook even clapped.

"Robin!" Nami gasped.

He had asked for it but that was truly unexpected. It wasn't really the final straw but it did make his mind react violently. In an attempt to calm the situation - his situation -, his left hand gave her hip a soft yank to pull her down on his lap. But of course, his hand had to grab the skin that was uncovered because of the thigh split of her garment. Something that the girls couldn't see but that the male players didn't miss at all. He unconsciously prolongated his touch before the situation hit him hard. He then became really stiff under her scrutinizing - but ingenuous - glance.

"Sorry, U." she calmly proposed.

"You?" Drake enquired, a little baffled right after he had eventually collected himself.

"The letter 'U'."

"Oh, right."

"Universe."

_What he wished he could share with her only._

"Voyage."

_What they were all living together._

"Wait."

_Something he regretted._

"Xenogamy."

"Pause! Does that even exist?!" Smoker asked with a doubtful frown.

"Of course, it does!" Robin claimed as she glanced at the white-haired guy.

"Whatever. End it fast."

"Yearner."

_What he still was._

"Zeal."

_What drove anybody to success and, maybe - just maybe -, she was also hinting at herself._

* * *

Their game of 'Truth or Dare' eventually ended when Usopp refused to confess an intimate fact about Kaya. He did drink the ten shots and he did end up having a hard time in the toilet, accompanied by his girlfriend. She quickly reassured the other people present that he was fine but it was better for them to head home. Nami joined them and bade goodbye to everyone.

Robin went to serve herself a gin & tonic and Drake soon came for the same purpose.

"You're comfortable."

"You already knew that."

"Partially." Robin corrected, "Will I get to see Violet or not?" she curiously asked out of nowhere.

"You weren't friends, were you?"

"No, we were not but I'm still interested."

Drake grimaced. "She's quite peculiar and difficult. I don't really think you two will get along with each other."

"You're hanging out with her yet you're really critical."

"It's… just no good, Robin…" he softly warned her.

She hissed a little bit. "Are you going to drive home tonight?" Robin asked after a short moment of silence.

"No, I don't think so. Maybe I'll try to sober up here and wait for the morning to leave." Drake sighed.

"Or you could follow me home. I'm just waiting for Law to come back."

Drake raised both eyebrows. "With a drink?"

"_Fufufu_. Yes, with a drink."

"He is sleeping at your place as well?"

"No, he's just tagging along for the short trip."

"Then… okay." Drake hesitantly agreed.

* * *

One month.

One month had passed before he caught wind of the events and the news accidentally reached his ears.

Things just turned really sour for him and it was about to be the case for her as well.


End file.
